Audubon   and   Family  going  down  the   Ohio. 

See  page  37. 


AUDUBON'S  ADVENTURES 


LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS 


BY  B.  K.  PEIRCE,  D.D. 

v\ 


EIGHT  ILLUSTRATIONS 


NEW  YORK:  HUNT  &  EA  TON 
CINCINNA  TI:  CRANSTON  £*  STOWE 


Copyright,  1883,  by 

HUNT     &     EATON 

NEW  YORK. 


INTRODUCTION. 


THE  adventures  of  John  James  Audubon  will 
never  lose  their  interest  to  young  or  old.  His 
was  one  of  the  most  unique  characters  our  country 
has  yet  given  to  the  world.  Great  in  intellectual 
endowment,  gentle-hearted,  and  sincerely  devout, 
he  was  at  the  same  time  so  thoroughly  original, 
so  full  of  lively  incident  was  his  career,  and  so 
ivid  were  his  powers  of  description,  that  the  mere 
Lory  of  his  life  is  far  more  interesting  than  most 
•ovels.  The  love  he  bore  in  his  heart  for  all  liv- 
ng  creatures  was  like  the  love  of  a  brother.  He 
followed  them  through  forest  and  over  plain,  on 
this  continent  and  in  Europe,  regardless  of  what 
risks  he  ran,  if  only  he  might  be  admitted  into 
the  private  nooks  of  Nature  and  have  her  secrets 
revealed  to  him  as  to  a  favorite.  Few  soldiers 
have  passed  through  more  startling  episodes  than 
he ;  and  this  little  book,  if  it  had  no  other  value 
than  the  delightful  and  varied  story  it  tells,  would 
be  worthy  of  high  praise. 

But  it  will  be  of  far  greater  use  -than  merely  to 
while  away  an  idle  hour  if  the  young  readers  of  this 
volume  shall  learn  from  it  the  value  of  those  hab- 
its of  close  observation  which  made  Audubon  the 
great  naturalist  of  America.  Darwin  and  Wallace 
have  alike  borne  testimony  to  the  fact  that  close 
scrutiny  of  the  animals  and  plants  within  easy 
reach  is  of  greater  value  than  the  memorization  of 
volumes.  If  our  young  friends  will  watch  the 
cats  and  dogs  and  flies,  the  rose-bushes  and  vines 


4  INTRODUCTION. 

and  elms,  which  are  in  and  around  their  homes — 
watch  them  with  a  loving  and  tireless  observation 
— they  will  do  more  toward  their  own  thorough 
education,  more  toward  the  acquisition  of  schol- 
arly habits,  than  the  wisest  and  best  of  teachers 
can  accomplish  upon  them  in  double  the  time. 
Dr.  Darwin  in  his  old  age  was  fond  of  relating  a 
practical  joke  which  his  little  granddaughter 
once  innocently  practiced  upon  him.  She  had 
sat  for  two  hours  watching  a  favorite  cat  asleep 
on  a  rug.  When  her  grandfather  entered  the 
room  she  said,  "I  have  followed  your  advice, 
grandpapa,  and  have  watched  the  cat,  as  well  as 
read  about  her;  and  I  have  discovered  that  cats 
have  something  which  no  other  quadrupeds  pos- 
sess; what  do  you  think  it  is?"  The  old  natu- 
ralist began  at  once  a  mental  comparison  of  cats' 
teeth  and  whiskers  and  fur  and  tail  and  claws 
with  those  of  other  quadrupeds,  but  he  could  not 
recall  any  feline  characteristic  which  was  not 
shared  by  other  animals.  And  when  he  "gave 
up  "  the  little  girl  demurely  answered,  "Kittens." 
It  was  an  innocent  and  frolicsome  conundrum, 
but  never  seemed  silly  to  the  great  philosopher. 
To  him  it  was  of  value  as  an  evidence  of  that 
freshness  of  mind  which  always  accompanies 
habits  of  observation.  As  we  read  this  grace- 
fully-written record  of  Audubon's  delightful  ad- 
ventures let  us  try  to  imitate  him  in  his  close 
and  loving  study  of  nature.  R.  R.  D. 

August  1,  1889. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

STUDY  OF  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

Advantages  derived  from  Audubon's  Life  —  A  Cabinet 
of  Minerals  easily  collected  —  A  Physician's  Cabinet- 
Benefits  of  a  Taste  for  Flowers  —  The  Quake,  Florist  — 
A  Physician's  fondness  for  Trees  —  Why  we  do  not  feel 
an  Interest  in  these  Things  —  Pleasure  derived  from 
Natural  History  —  The  Lecture  upon  a  Grasshopper — 
The  Merchant's  Library  —  The  Literary  Leather-dresser 
—  Easily  become  acquainted  with  the  Birds. . . .  Page  9 

CHAPTER  II. 

EARLY  YEARS   OF  AUDUBON. 

His  Parents  —  Find  Refuge  in  Louisiana  —  Father  de- 
vout—  Eeligious  Training  of  Son—  Birth  of  Son  —  Early 
Love  of  Nature  — Father's  Plan  of  Instruction  —  Audu- 
bon's increasing  interest  in  Birds  —  Procures  Illustra- 
tions—  Begins  to  draAV  the  Birds —  Great  Perseverance 
in  the  Work  —Annual  Burning  of  his  Pictures  —  Sent  to 
France  under  Tuition  of  David  the  Painter — Returns 
Home  —  Arrangements  for  entering  upon  a  Business 
Life —  Father  purchases  an  Estate  for  him  on  the  Schuyl- 
kill — Scenery  around  his  New  Home  —  His  Study  in  a 
Cave  — The  Story  of  the  Pewees 15 


6  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  HI. 

AUIHTBON'S    UNCONQUERABLE    PASSION    FOR    NAT- 
URAL  HISTOHY. 

Marriage  of  Audubon —  Business  does  not  wean  him 
from  the  Birds  —  His  Commercial  Pursuits  turn  out  bad- 
ly—  His  feelings  in  reference  to  this — Eemoves  to 
Louisville,  Ky. —  Kindness  of  the  Inhabitants  to  his  Fam- 
ily— Still  drawing  the  Birds  — The  Visit  of  Wilson  — 
Keturns  to  Pennsylvania Pago  26 

CHAPTER  TV. 

LIFE  IN  KENTUCKY. 

Arranges  Ms  Affairs  to  settle  permanently  in  Ken- 
tucky—  Descends  the  Ohio  in  a  Dugout — Appearance 
of  Eiver  and  Banks  —  The  Camp-meeting  in  Indiana  — 
The  Itinerants  thus  early  around  —  Changes  within  Au- 
dubou's  Memory  —  Business  still  unsuccessful  —  De- 
votes himself  to  his  favorite  Studies  —  Audubon's  native 
Horse 34 

CHAPTER  V. 

AUDUBON'S  ADVENTURES. 

The  midnight  Assassins  —  The  hearty  "Welcome  In  the 
Woods  — The  Earthquake  — The  Western  Wedding  — 
••The  Tornado  — And  "  Odd  Fish"  — Daniel  Boone— The 
Runaway  Slave 45 

CHAPTER  VI. 

AUDUBONS   STUDIES  IN  NATURAL   HISTORY. 

Audubon's  great  Object  in  his  Travels  —  The  Wild 
Turkey  —  The  Bird  of  Washington  —  The  White-headed 
Eagle  — The  Baltimore  Oriole— The  Mocking  Bird  — 
The  Purple  Martin  — The  Euby-throated  Humming 
Bird.... .  94 


CONTENTS.  7 

CHAPTER  VII. 

AUDUBON'S  EXPERIENCE   IN  PUBLISHING. 

Audubon  visits  Philadelphia  —  Introduced  to  Charles 
Lucien  Bonaparte  —  Conceives  the  idea  of  Publishing  — 
Determines  to  visit  Europe  —  Plans  his  great  Work  — 
Terrible  Accident  to  his  Drawings  —  He  bravely  renews 
all  his  lost  Labors  —  Sails  for  England  —  Emotions  as 
he  landed  a  perfect  Stranger  in  Liverpool  —  Reception  in 
Liverpool,  Manchester,  and  Edinburgh  —  Advice  of 
Friends  as  to  Form  of  Publication  —  His  own  daring 
Plan  resolutely  undertaken  —  Great  Cost  of  Work  — Ef- 
fect upon  his  own  Fortune  —  Characteristics  of  the  Work 
—Visits  France  — Baron  Cuvier  — Louis  Philippe  — 
Visit  to  London  —  Sailed  for  America  —  Feelings  as  he 
approached  his  native  Land  —  Scours  the  Forests  of  the 
Middle  States  —  Keturns  to  England  with  his  Family  — 
First  Volume  published  —  Perseverance  amid  Difficul- 
ties— Leaves  for  an  extensive  Tour  throughout  North 
America Page  146 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

FROM  FLORIDA   TO   LABRADOR. 

Sailed  for  America — Aided  by  Government  —  Secures 
assistance  of  Dr.  Bachman,  of  Charleston  —  Sails  to  Flor- 
ida in  cutter  Marion  —  Water-birds  —  Appearance  of  the 
new  Scenery  —  Double-crested  Cormorant  —  Florida 
Cormorant  —  Blue  Heron  —  Pelicans  —  Ibis  —  Flamingo 

—  Oyster  Catcher  — Indian   Key  — Haunts  of  Pelicans 
and  Cormorants  —  Scenery  of  the  Key  —  Southern  Cape 
of  Florida  —  Hurricane  —  The  Pirate's  Dea  th  —  Tortugas 

—  Sunset  in  low  Latitudes  —  The  Turtle — Returns  to 
Charleston  and  starts  Eastward  —  The  Meadow  Lark  — 
Boston  —  Golden    Eagle  —  Examines    the    Forests    of 
Maine  —  A  Timber  Drive  —  Spotted  or  Canada  Grouse 


8  CONTENTS. 

—  The  Burning  Forest— Bay  of  Fundy  —  The  Coast  of 
Labrador—  The  Shore  Lark  —  The  Lincoln  Finch  —  The 
Eggers  of  Labrador — The  Frenchmen  of  Labrador — 
The  Musical  Family  —  Eeturns  to  Boston  —  Eapid  visit 
South  —  Sails  for  England Page  161 

CHAPTER  IX. 

ATJDUEON'S   CLOSING  LABORS. 

Arranges  another  Trip  with  his  Son  over  the  United 
States  —  Thomas  Nuttall,  Esq.—  Dr.  Townsend  of  Phila- 
delphia—  Examination  of  the  Gulf  Shores  —  Sons  mar- 
ried to  Daughters  of  Dr.  Bachman  —  Eeturns  to  London 
—Work  completed  in  1839  — Audubon  at  this  Period  — 
Picture  of  a  Woodsman's  Life  —  Mistake  of  a  Hotel 
Keeper  at  Niagara  —  Canal  Travelers  —  Audubon  and 
Family  finally  return  to  their  native  Shores  —  His  Coun- 
try-seat upon  the  Hudson  —  Description  of  his  Place  — 
New  Edition  of  his  Works  —  Audubon  plans  a  Work 
upon  the  Animals  of  America  —  Proposes  a  Journey  to 
Eocky  Mountains  —  Friends  interpose  —  Volume  upon 
the  Quadrupeds  —  Decay  and  Decease 237 


AUDUBON  AND  FAMILY  GOING  DOWN  THE  OHIO 2 

AUDUBON  AND  THE  ODD  FISH  IN  THE  CANE-BRAKE.      74 

AUDUBON  AT  THE  CAMP  OF  THE  EUNAWAY 90 

THE  EAGLE  AND  ITS  PKEY 114 

THB  BALTIMORE  ORIOLE 122 

AUDUBON  LISTENING  TO  THE  CAPTAIN  OF  THE  WATCH  179 

THE  GOLDEN  EAGLE 199 

AUDUBON  AND  THE  FRENCHM  I.N  WHO  LOST  HIS  "  BUM."  228 


LIEE  IN  THE  WOODS ; 

OB, 

THE  ADVENTURES   OF  AUDUBON. 


CHAPTER  I. 

STUDY  OF  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

I  WISH  to  tell  my  young  readers  the  strange 
and  interesting  story  of  Audubon,  the  great 
American  Naturalist,  who  passed  so  many 
years  of  his  life  in  the  woods  with  the  birds, 
listening  to  their  songs  and  learning  their 
habits.  I  hardly  think  that  I  should  recom- 
mend to  any  one  of  them  to  follow  his  exam- 
ple fully ;  but  it  would  add  greatly  to  the 
enjoyment  of  every  one  if,  in  addition  to  his 
other  studies  and  labors,  he  cultivated  a  tasto 
for  some  branch  of  natural  history. 

"With  a  very  little  time  and  attention  any 
one  may  become  familiar  with  the  name  and 
distinguishing  marks  of  the  principal  rocks 


10  LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS;   OR, 

upon  the  surface  of  the  earth,  and  collect 
around  him  a  very  large  and  beautiful  cabi- 
net. Some  of  the  most  delightful  hours  of 
his  life  will  be  passed  in  gathering  new  spec- 
imens for  his  collection.  He  will  always 
have  an  entertaining  occupation  for  his  spare 
moments,  and  a  peculiar  source  of  pleasure 
in  all  his  journeyings.  I  have  known  a  busy 
physician  to  find  sufficient  time  to  collect  a 
cabinet  that  a  college  was  thankful  enough 
to  receive,  and  the  enjoyments  of  his  life  were 
increased  manyfold. 

I  have  known  others  acquire  a  taste  for 
flowers ;  not  cultivated  flowers  merely,  but 
the  charming  wild  flowers  with  which  God 
has  made  the  wayside  and  the  meadow  to 
blossom.  I  recollect  meeting,  some  years 
since,  a  delightful  old  gentleman  wearing  the 
plain  and  neat  Quaker  dress."  He  had  ac- 
quired a  handsome  property  in  business,  and 
was  devoting  the  most  of  his  time  to  benev- 
olent objects.  "Wherever  he  went  he  carried 
a  little,  convenient  flower-case  with  him,  and 
whenever  his  quick  eye  fell  upon  a  new  blos- 
som, or  even  an  old  one  if  particularly  at- 
tractive, he  gathered  it  as  a  great  prize,  and 
with  marked  pleasure  added  it  to  the  treas- 
ures of  his  case.  He  seemed  to  know  each 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.      11 

flower  by  name;  all  about  its  habits,  and 
almost  to  be  able  to  hold  conversation 
with  it. 

I  shall  not  soon  forget  the  great  pleasure 
an  eminent  physician  once  exhibited  when 
shown  a  very  large  elm-tree.  He  had  his 
tape  measure  out  of  his  pocket  at  once  to 
measure  it.  It  proved  to  be  a  giant  in  cir- 
cumference, and  all  the  facts  about  it  were 
carefully  noted  down  in  his  diary.  He  was 
acquainted  with  nearly  every  very  lai'ge  tree 
in  the  state,  and  eveiy  interesting  circum- 
stance connected  with  them.  He  was  famil- 
iar with  all  the  different  species  of  trees,  and 
every  grove  and  forest  he  passed  through  af- 
forded him  inexpressible  delight  in  their  ex- 
amination. 

The  reason  why  we  do  not  feel  the  same 
enjoyment  in  these  things  is,  that  we  have 
riever  become  acquainted  with  all  the  inter- 
esting facts  about  them;  just  as  when  a 
stranger  comes  into  the  place  where  we  live, 
we  feel  but  very  little  interest  in  him  at  first, 
but  after  we  are  introduced  to  him  and  be- 
come fully  acquainted  with  him  we  wish  to 
be  in  his  society  as  often  as  possible.  It  will 
add  more  to  our  enjoyment  in  life,  whatever 
our  business  or  profession  may  be,  than  can 


12  LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS;   OB, 

be  told  in  words,  to  have  some  one  branch  of 
science  or  nature  so  well  understood  as  to 
enable  us  to  perceive  all  its  beauties. 

A  great  professor  was  about  to  lecture  be- 
fore a  class  of  students,  and  he  placed  a  grass- 
hopper upon  the  table  before  them  and  told 
them  that  this  insect  woiild  be  the  subject  of 
his  conversation  for  the  hour.  The  young 
men  laughed  aloud  at  this,  not  thinking  that 
anything  new  could  be  said  about  this  little 
skipping  fellow  they  had  seen  so  often.  But 
they  found  the  hour  was  only  too  short,  and 
that  their  interest  increased  every  moment  as 
the  professor  opened  before  them  all  the  sin- 
gular habits  and  the  facts  that  he  had  dis- 
covered by  long  and  careful  observation 
about  the  grasshopper. 

One  may  live  a  very  busy  life,  and  may 
not  have  much  money  to  expend,  and  still 
surround  himself  with  many  objects  of  inter- 
est and  profit.  A  merchant  in  Boston,  do- 
ing a  very  large  business,  found  time,  and  no 
ordinary  pleasure  in  the  work  besides,  to  col- 
lect in  his  library  copies  of  nearly  all  the  dif- 
ferent editions  of  the  Bible  that  have  been 
published  since  the  invention  of  the  art  of 
printing ;  and  another  gentleman  who  began 
life  poor,  a  leather  dresser,  who  continued 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.  13 

in  his  trade  until  his  death,  improved  his 
mind  and  his  taste  in  reading  during  all  his 
leisure  moments,  and  by  economy  secured  one 
of  the  largest  and  most  valuable  private 
-ibraries  in  the  country. 

But  perhaps  there  is  no  study  that  will 
afford  more  pleasure,  nor  one  that  can  be  so 
readily  and  successfully  undertaken  as  that 
of  the  habits  of  the  thousand  different  varie- 
ties of  birds  that  make  our  groves  beautiful 
with  their  elegant  plumage,  and  melodious 
with  their  charming  songs.  The  study  has 
been  made  very  easy  and  delightful  for  us 
by  the  long,  unwearied,  but  pleasant  labors 
of  such  men  as  John  James  Audubon.  What 
was  to  them  the  work  of  years  to  learn,  and 
required  their  passing  many  months  at  a 
time  in  untraveled  forests,  and  in  portions  of 
the  country  far  from  human  habitations,  we 
may,  in  a  good  degree,  acquire  by  simply 
studying  the  delightful  pages  they  have 
written.  We  should  seek,  however,  to  unite 
personal  observation  with  our  reading,  and 
with  a  volume  in  our  hands  giving  an  ac- 
count of  the  different  birds  that  throughout 
the  year  frequent  our  gardens,  and  fields, 
and  forests,  we  should  seek  to  identify  each 
one  of  them,  and  be  able  to  call  by  name 


14  LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS;   OR, 

every  songster  of  the  grove.  We  shall  Bee, 
in  the  life  of  Audubon,  what  exquisite  pleas- 
ure the  study  of  the  birds  afforded  him;  and 
how  their  habits  exhibited  the  wisdom,  love, 
and  providence  of  their  great  Creator. 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.   15 


CHAPTER  H. 

EARLY  YEARS  OF  AUDUBON. 

THE  parents  of  Audubon  were  French 
Protestants,  who  were  forced  by  Catholic 
persecutions  to  fly  from  France,  and  sought 
refuge  in  what  is  now  the  State  of  Louisiana, 
when  it  was  a  Spanish  colony.  It  afterward 
came  into  the  possession  of  the  French,  and 
was,  at  a  still  later  period,  sold  by  the  Em- 
peror Napoleon  to  the  United  States.  Au- 
dubon's  father  was,  previous  to  his  coming 
to  America,  an  admiral  in  the  French  navy. 
He  had  a  cultivated  mind,  and  was  well  pre- 
pared to  undertake  the  task  that  fell  to  him, 
of  watching  over  the  early  training  of  his 
son.  He  seems  to  have  been  a  devout  man, 
turning  the  thoughts  of  his  son  constantly 
from  the  beautiful  creatures  of  God  to  the 
great  Creator  himself.  This  habit  followed 
the  son  throughout  his  career.  Alone,  amid 
the  wilds  of  nature,  for  long  spaces  of  time, 
he  seemed  to  himself  to  be  immediately  in 
the  presence  and  within  the  providential 
arms  of  his  heavenly  Father ;  and  every 


16  LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS  ;   OR, 

new  discovery  he  made  among  the  feathered 
songsters  awakened  his  mind  to  a  livelier 
appreciation  of  the  wisdom  and  goodness  of 
God. 

John  James  was  born  May  4,  1780.  His 
parents  were  then  living  upon  a  plantation, 
away  from  the  more  thickly  settled  portions 
of  the  country.  From  his  first  recollections 
he  had  a  very  strong  love  for  everything  in 
the  beautiful  world  around  him.  He  did  not 
enjoy  the  restraints  of  the  house,  but  wished 
to  be  out  among  the  flowers  and  the  birds. 
His  father  was  his  constant  companion, 
pointing  out  to  him  everything  worthy  of 
notice,  administering  to  his  peculiar  passion 
for  birds  and  flowers  by  obtaining  all  in  his 
power  far  and  near.  He  would  point  out 
the  elegant  movements,  the  beauty  and  soft- 
ness of  plumage,  their  manner  of  exhibiting 
pleasure  or  a  sense  of  danger,  of  the  birds, 
and  the  always  perfect  forms  and  splendid 
attire  of  the  flowers.  "My  valued  precep- 
tor," says  the  dutiful  son,  speaking  of  him 
when  he  had  become  himself  advanced  in 
years,  and  his  father  had  long  been  slumber- 
ing in  the  dust,  "  would  then  speak  of  the 
departure  and  return  of  birds  with  the  sea- 
sons, and  would  describe  their  haunts  and, 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.   17 

more  wonderful  than  all,  their  change  of 
livery  (plumage) ;  thus  exciting  me  to  study 
them,  and  to  raise  my  mind  toward  their 
Creator." 

Young  Audubon's  love  for  nature  increas- 
ed with  his  years.  Not  satisfied  with  feast- 
ing his  eyes  upon  the  birds,  he  desired  to 
possess  them,  and  make  them  his  constant 
companions.  His  father  sought  to  gratify 
this  wish  with  his  gun,  and  by  carefully  pre- 
serving the  birds  that  he  thus  obtained ;  but 
with  the  death  of  the  bird  all  Audubon's 
pleasure  in  it  ceased.  "  The  moment,"  he 
said,  "  a  bird  was  dead,  however  beautiful 
it  had  been  when  in  life,  the  pleasure  arising 
from  the  possession  of  it  became  blunted  ; 
and  although  the  greatest  care  was  bestow- 
ed on  endeavors  to  preserve  the  appearance 
of  nature,  I  looked  upon  its  vesture  as  more 
than  sullied ;  it  could  no  longer  be  said  to 
be  fresh  from  the  hands  of  its  Maker.  I 
wished  to  possess  all  the  productions  of 
nature,  but  I  wished  life  with  them." 

He  told  his  father  his  disappointment,  and 
with  rare  intelligence  and  kindness  lie 
sought  to  turn  this  feeling  to  the  best  ac- 
count. He  procured  for  him  a  book  of 
illustrations.  A  new  life,  he  says,  ran 


18  LIFE   IN   THE   WOODS;   OR, 

through  his  veins  when  he  first  turned  over 
the  leaves  of  his  new  acquisition.  It  was 
not  indeed  just  what  he  wanted,  but  it  sug- 
gested to  him  what  became  the  great  pur- 
suit and  pleasure  of  his  after-life.  Tho 
desire  was  at  once  awakened  in  his  mind  to 
copy  what  he  saw  in  the  world  around  him. 
His  pencil  now  became  his  constant  compan- 
ion. His  earliest  eiforts  were  very  unsatis- 
factory to  himself.  In  the  book  that  his 
father  gave  him  the  illustrations  were,  in  his 
opinion,  far  from  being  true  to  nature,  and 
many  of  them  decidedly  bad ;  but  he  was 
mortified  to  see  that  his  own  eiforts  were 
greatly  inferior  even  to  these.  He  was  not, 
however,  to  be  discouraged.  He  kept  him- 
self constantly  at  the  work,  although  an- 
nually, on  his  birthday,  he  was  accustomed 
to  commit  to  the  flames  hundreds  of  the 
rude  sketches  that  he  had  drawn  with  so 
much  perseverance.  It  was  this  earnestness 
and  perseverance  in  his  purposes  that  made 
him  what  he  afterward  became.  As  we 
shall  see,  he  was  constantly  overcoming  diffi- 
culties that  would  have  discouraged  an  or- 
dinary mind  "Perseverance  conquers  all 
things;"  and  every  day's  labor,  although  un- 
satisfactory, improved  his  hand  and  his  eye, 


THE   ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.      19 

and  trained  him  for  the  extraordinary  suc- 
cess that  he  afterward  attained. 

When  he  had  reached  his  fifteenth  year 
his  father,  seeing  the  decided  bent  of  his 
mind,  sent  him  to  France  to  study  drawing, 
under  the  tuition  of  the  celebrated  painter, 
David.  He  remained  there  two  years,  prac- 
ticing drawing.  This  was  dry  work  for  our 
young  lover  of  nature.  He  panted  for  his 
birds  and  his  fields.  He  wanted  to  draw 
from  the  beautiful  world  it-self,  and  not  to 
copy  the  monotonous  works  of  other  men. 
His  laborious  training,  however,  under  Da- 
vid, as  uninteresting  as  it  might  have  been, 
was  undoubtedly  of  great  service  to  him. 
After  two  years  he  returned  again  to  his  be- 
loved native  land. 

His  father  looked  upon  these  studies  in 
drawing  simply  as  affording  pleasure  and 
profit  for  his  leisure  hours,  and  intended 
that  his  son  should  engage  in  commercial 
pursuits.  Arrangements  were  made  for  his 
entering  into  partnership  with  a  young  French 
gentleman,  and  he  came  north  that  he  might 
more  successfully  carry  out  his  mercantile 
plans.  His  father  purchased  a  fine  estate  for 
him  in  Pennsylvania,  npon  the  Schuylkill 
River :  its  broad  fields  and  extensive  wood- 


20  LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS  ;   OR, 

lands  offering,  however,  powerful  tempta- 
tions for  his  pencil,  and  beguiling  him  from 
the  less  congenial  duties  incident  to  a  busi- 
ness life. 

The  plantation  of  Audubon  sloped  to  a 
creek  which  bore  the  name  of  Perkioming. 
The  scenery  around  was  peculiarly  adapted 
to  awaken  the  liveliest  pleasure  in  the  heart 
of  one  so  fond  of  nature  as  Audubon.  He 
was  very  fond  of  rambling  along  its  rocky 
banks,  watching  the  wild  flowers  as  they 
opened  in  their  season,  observing  the  habits 
of  the  kingfisher,  perched  on  some  project- 
ing stone  over  the  clear  water  of  the  stream, 
following  with  his  eye  the  path  of  the  fish 
hawk,  followed  by  the  white-headed  eagle, 
and  permitting  all  these  varying  objects  to 
bear  "  his  thoughts,"  he  says,  "  far  above 
them  into  the  heavens,  silently  leading  me 
to  the  admiration  of  the  sublime  Creator  of 
all." 

Opening  upon  the  creek  was  a  cave,  scooped 
out  of  the  rock,  of  sufficient  size  for  him  to 
make  it  his  study.  A  circumstance  that  oc- 
curred here  awakened  a  fresh  desire  to  be- 
come familiarly  acquainted  with  the  habita 
of  birds.  Immediately  over  the  arched  en- 
entrance  of  the  cave  a  pewee  flycatcher  fast- 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.     21 

ened  its  nest.  When  Audubon  first  observed 
it  it  was  empty.  The  spring  was  now  opening 
— the  buds  having  begun  to  swell  upon  the 
trees — when  one  morning  early,  as  he  entered 
his  rocky  retreat,  a  rustling  sound  overhead 
attracted  his  attention,  and  on  turning  he 
saw  two  birds  fly  off:  the  pewees  had  ar- 
rived !  As  they  appeared  somewhat  sur- 
prised and  disturbed  by  his  presence,  he 
quietly  withdrew  and  remained  away  for  the 
day.  Early  the  next  morning  he  hastened  to 
the  cave;  but  they  were  up  before  him. 
Long  before  he  reached  the  spot  his  ears 
were  saluted  by  their  well-known  notes,  and 
he  soon  saw  them  darting  through  the  air, 
and  giving  chase  to  the  insects  close  over  the 
water.  They  were  full  of  joy,  frequently  fly- 
ing in  and  out  of  the  cave,  alighting  on  a 
favorite  tree  near  by,  and  seeming  to  be  en- 
gaged in  the  most  interesting  conversation. 
As  Audubon  approached  the  cave  the  male 
bird  flew  violently  toward  the  entrance, 
snapped  his  bill  sharply  and  repeatedly,  ac- 
companying this  action  with  a  tremulous 
rolling  note.  Presently  he  flew  into  the  cave 
and  out  again  with  incredible  swiftness.  Au- 
dubon continued  daily  to  visit  the  cave ;  aft- 
er a  time  he  noticed  with  pleasure  that  the 


22  LIFE  IX  THE  WOODS  ;  OR, 

birds  were  becoming  quite  accustomed  to 
him,  and  before  a  week  had  passed  he  and 
the  birds  were  on  terms  of  intimacy.  The 
pewees  now  began  to  work  at  their  old 
nest. 

Having  become  very  much  interested  in 
them,  he  determined  to  spend  the  greater 
part  of  each  day  in  the  cave  observing  their 
proceedings.  His  presence  no  longer  occa- 
sioned them  the  slightest  alarm.  They  brought 
fresh  materials  to  renew  the  nest,  lining  it 
with  a  few  large  and  soft  feathers.  There 
was  a  remarkable  twittering  in  their  note, 
while  both  sat  on  the  edge  of  the  nest  when 
repairing  it,  which  is  never  heard  ou  other 
occasions.  "It  was  the  soft,  tender  expres- 
sion," Audubon  says,  "I  thought,  of  the 
pleasure  they  both  appeared  to  anticipate  in 
the  future.  Their  mutual  caresses,  simple  as 
they  might  have  seemed  to  another,  and  the 
delicate  manner  used  by  the  male  to  please 
his  mate,  riveted  my  eyes  on  the  birds,  and 
excited  sensations  which  I  can  never  forget." 

One  day  the  female  spent  the  greater  part 
of  the  time  upon  her  nest,  frequently  chang- 
ing her  position.  Her  mate  exhibited  great  un- 
easiness ;  he  would  alight  by  her  sometimes, 
sit  by  her  side  for  a  moment,  and  suddenly 


THE  ADVENTURES  OP  AUDUBON.  23 

flying  out,  would  return  with  an  insect,  which 
she  would  take  from  his  bill  with  much  ap- 
parent satisfaction.  About  three  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon  the  uneasiness  of  the  female  in- 
creased, and  the  male  looked  quite  despond- 
ent ;  when  suddenly  rising  up,  and  looking 
under  her  little  feet  a  moment,  the  female 
flew  from  the  nest,  followed  by  her  consort, 
performing  the  most  curious  evolutions  in  the 
air.  When  they  left  Audubon  peeped  into 
the  nest,  and  saw  a  little  white  transparent 
egg,  which  was  a  more  pleasant  sight  to  him, 
he  says,  than  if  he  had  met  with  a  diamond. 
In  a  week  there  were  five  more.  And  now  the 
little  female  pewee,  having  arranged  her  eggs 
and  spread  her  wings,  settled  down  into  her 
nest  to  hatch  her  expected  brood.  The  birds 
took  turns  in  setting  upon  the  eggs.  While 
one  was  upon  the  nest  the  mate  could  search 
for  food,  or,  sitting  on  some  adjoining  branch, 
would  fill  the  air  with  the  loudest  notes. 
They  had  become  so  tame  that  Audubon 
could  reach  out  his  hand  and  lay  it  gently 
upon  the  sitting  bird  without  disturbing  it. 
At  the  same  time  he  found  another  pewee's 
nest  attached  to  the  rafters  of  his  mill,  and 
Btill  another  in  his  cattle-yard.  He  thoiight, 
from  the  perfect  similarity  of  note,  that  theso 


24  LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS;   OR, 

must  all  have  belonged  to  the  same  last  year's 
family;  and  he  afterward  found  that  the 
brood  raised  in  the  cave  returned  the  next 
spring  and  established  themselves  in  various 
places  along  the  creek. 

In  thirteen  days  the  young  birds  appeared. 
The  attention  of  the  parents  to  them  was  in- 
cessant, constantly  bringing  insects  to  their 
little  brood.  The  old  birds  had  become  so 
used  to  Audubon  that  they  would  fly  in  and 
out  regardless  of  his  presence.  He  handled 
the  young  frequently.  Finally  he  tied  small 
threads  to  their  legs,  but  at  first  they  were 
invariably  removed.  He  renewed  them  un- 
til they  became  used  to  them,  and  then  he 
fastened  a  light  silver  thread  to  the  leg  of 
each,  so  loosely  as  not  to  hurt  it,  and  so  fast- 
ened that  they  could  not  remove  it.  They 
took  wing  in  sixteen  days,  and  the  old  birds 
began  to  arrange  the  nest  for  a  new  brood. 
These  made  their  appearance  in  the  begin- 
ning of  August.  By  the  eighth  of  October 
every  pewee  had  left  his  plantation,  and  all 
his  little  companions  had  taken  their  first 
journey  to  the  South. 

At  the  season  of  their  return  to  Pennsyl- 
vania in  the  spring,  Audubon  had  the  satisfac- 
tion of  welcoming  his  birds  again.  The  old 


THE  ADVENTUKES  OF  ATJDUBON.     25 

birds  returned  to  the  same  nest,  and  he  found 
several  new  pewee  nests  along  the  banks  of 
the  creek.  Having  caught  several  of  the 
birds  upon  the  nest,  he  had  the  pleasure  of 
finding  two  with  the  silver  ring  upon  the 
leg. 

Audubon's  business  now  called  him  to 
France,  and  detained  him  for  two  years.  But 
when  he  returned,  in  the  month  of  August,  he 
had  the  pleasure  of  finding  three  young  pe- 
wees  in  the  nest  in  the  cave.  Upon  exam- 
ination  he  found  it  was  not  the  same  nest. 
The  old  one  had  been  torn  away,  and  this  was 
placed  a  little  above  it.  He  noticed  also  that 
while  the  male  bird  allowed  him  to  approach 
quite  near  to  him,  the  female  was  very  shy. 
Upon  making  inquiry  he  learned  that  the 
miller's  son  had  killed  the  old  mother  bird 
and  four  young  ones  (cruel  wretch)  to  make 
fish-bait.  The  male  pewee  had  then  brought 
a  second  partner  to  the  nest. 

As  long  as  the  plantation  of  Mill  Grove 
belonged  to  him,  a  pewee's  nest  continued  in 
his  favorite  retreat 


26  LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS  |  OR, 


CHAPTEE  III. 

AUDUBON'S  UNCONQUERABLE  PASSION 
FOR  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

AT  this  time  Audubon  married,  and  com- 
menced a  domestic  life,  which,  although, 
often  interrupted  by  long  absence  from  home 
and  its  beloved  inmates,  was  always  a  source 
of  unalloyed  enjoyment  to  him. 

His  commercial  ventures,  the  demands  of 
his  large  farm,  and  the  calls  of  his  little  fam- 
ily, could  not  wean  him  from  the  habits  and 
longings  of  his  childhood  and  youth. 

Day  after  day  he  would  leave  home  im- 
mediately after  light,  to  wander  through  the 
forests  in  pursuit  of  birds,  returning  only  in 
the  dew  of  the  evening  to  rejoice  over  and 
draw  his  newly-acquired  prizes. 

As  might  naturally  be  supposed,  with  his 
mind  so  drawn  aside  from  business,  his  com- 
mercial speculations  turned  out  badly.  He 
Bays  of  himself  in  reference  to  this  and  the 
following  years  of  his  life  : 

"  For  a  period  of  neai'ly  twenty  years  my 
life  was  a  succession  of  vicissitudes.  I  tried 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON".      27 

various  branches  of  commerce,  but  they  all 
proved  unprofitable,  doubtless  because  my 
whole  mind  was  ever  filled  with  my  passion 
for  rambling,  and  admiring  those  objects  of 
nature  from  which  alone  I  received  the 
purest  gratification.  I  had  to  struggle 
against  the  will  of  all  who  at  that  period 
called  themselves  my  friends.  I  must  here, 
however,  except  my  wife  and  children.  The 
remarks  of  my  other  friends  irritated  me 
beyond  endurance;  and  breaking  through 
all  bonds,  I  gave  myself  entirely  up  to  my 
pursuits.  Any  one  unacquainted  with  the 
extraordinary  desire  which  I  then  felt,  of 
seeing  and  judging  for  myself,  would  doubt- 
less have  pronounced  me  callous  to  every 
sense  of  duty,  and  regardless  of  every  in- 
terest. I  undertook  long  and  tedious  jour- 
neys, ransacked  the  woods,  the  lakes,  the 
prairies,  and  the  shores  of  the  Atlantic. 
Years  were  spent  away  from  my  family. 
Yet  in  all  this  time  I  had  no  other  object  in 
view  than  simply  to  enjoy  the  sight  of 
nature." 

It  was  some  time  later,  as  we  shall  see, 
that  he  conceived  the  noble  design  of  giv- 
ing to  others  the  benefit  of  his  toils,  and 
of  rendering  invaluable  services  to  the  world. 


28  LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS  ;   OR, 

An  acquaintance  which  he  formed  in  Phil- 
adelphia, in  1824,  with  Charles  Lucien  Bo- 
naparte, himself  an  enthusiastic  naturalist, 
and  a  generous  friend  and  encourager  of  all 
engaged  in  like  pursuits,  gave  the  earliest 
definite  direction  to  these  labors,  which  had 
been  undertaken  solely  for  the  personal 
gratification  which  the  study  of  the  wisdom, 
power,  and  goodness  of  God,  as  exhibited 
in  the  animal  world,  gave  to  himself.  It 
certainly  was  no  ambition  to  secure  human 
applause,  or  to  obtain  a  pecuniary  reward. 
These  two  leading  objects  of  life  appear  to 
have  been  utterly  foreign  to  Audubon's 
nature.  He  only  desired  that  others  might 
share  with  him  his  rich  enjoyment  of  na- 
ture; and  to  do  this  he  sacrificed  all  his 
fortune,  and  subjected  himself  and  his  fam- 
ily to  many  of  the  inconveniences  of  pov- 
erty. 

Soon  after  his  marriage,  in  the  prosecution 
of  his  business,  he  had  occasion  to  visit  Ken- 
tucky and  spend  two  years  in  Louisville. 
He  had  visited  the  place  previously,  been 
charmed  with  its  wild  and  beautiful  scenery ; 
out  above  all  had  been  won  by  the  hospitali- 
ty and  urbanity  of  manners  exhibited  by  the 
inhabitants  of  this  growing  town.  He  and 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.     29 

his  young  wife  had  no  sooner  reached  the 
place  than,  without  letters  of  introduction, 
they  were  at  once  visited  by  the  principal  in- 
habitants of  the  town.  If  his  business  or  his 
rambles  in  the  forests  kept  him  for  any  length 
of  time  from  home,  his  wife  was  removed  to 
the  generous  home  of  some  friend  in  the 
neighborhood  until  his  return,  and  when  he 
returned  he  would  be  required  to  extend  with 
her  the  visit  to  several  weeks.  This  was 
true  Virginia  hospitality,  enlarged  by  all  the 
noble  characteristics  of  the  new  country  into 
which  the  citizens  of  the  Old  Dominion  had 
emigrated. 

His  favorite  pursuits  were  by  no  means 
forgotten  during  his  residence  here.  He 
drew  and  noted  the  habits  of  every  bird 
which  he  could  procure.  Every  friend  who 
used  a  gun  added  to  his  collection  by  send- 
ing him  every  specimen  that  might  be  of  value 
to  him. 

While  residing  in  Louisville  in  1810  he 
was  visited  by  Alexander  Wilson.  Wilson 
was  a  Scotch  weaver  and  peddler  who  had 
emigrated  to  this  country  a  number  of  years 
before.  After  working  a  while  at  his  trade, 
improving  his  mind  by  study  and  writing,  he 
became  the  teacher  of  a  seminary  in  the  town 


30  LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS;  OR, 

of  Kingsessing,  on  the  Schuylkill,  a  few  miles 
from  Philadelphia.  He  here  formed  the  ac- 
quaintance of  an  excellent  man,  a  lover  of 
natural  history,  named  Bertram,  and  of  an  eu 
graver  name  Lawson.  From  the  latter  the 
studious  weaver,  who  essayed  also  to  be  a 
poet,  took  lessons  in  drawing. 

At  this  time  he  saw  some  illustrated  vol- 
umes of  natural  history,  and  a  like  passion  to 
that  which  at  an  earlier  day  possessed  Audu- 
bon,  seized  upon  him.  He  determined  to  devote 
himself  to  making  a  collection  of  all  the  finest 
birds  in  the  country.  He  started  out  with  his 
gun,  and  by  engaging  the  assistance  of  others, 
with  the  most  self-denying  labors  and  perse- 
vering efforts  to  overcome  obstacles,  he  col- 
lected the  materials,  made  the  drawings,  and 
published  the  first  volume  of  his  work  enti- 
tled "  American  Ornithology."  The  second 
volume,  the  materials  for  which  were  collect- 
ed amid  difficulties  that  would  have  appalled 
an  ordinary  man,  was  published  in  January, 
1810,  and  the  author  started  upon  a  western 
and  southern  tour,  both  to  obtain  subscribers 
for  his  work  and  to  add  to  his  collections  for 
succeeding  volumes. 

Wilson  called  upon  Audubon  to  obtain  his 
name  to  his  list.  "  How  well  do  I  remem- 


THE  ADVENT.  UKES  OF  AUDUBON      81 

her  him,"  says  Audubon,  "  as  he  then  walked 
up  to  me.  His  long,  rather  hooked  nose,  the 
keenness  of  his  eyes,  and  his  prominent  cheek 
bones,  stamped  his  countenance  with  a  pecul- 
iar character.  He  had  two  volumes  under 
his  arm,  and  as  he  approached  the  table 
where  I  was  working,  I  thought  I  discovered 
something  like  astonishment  in  his  counte- 
nance. He  opened  his  books,  explained  the 
nature  of  his  occupations,  and  requested  my 
patronage.  I  felt  surprised  and  gratified  at 
the  sight  of  his  volumes,  turned  over  a  few 
of  the  plates,  and  had  already  taken  a  pen  in 
hand  to  write  my  name  in  his  favor,  when 
my  partner,  rather  abruptly,  said  to  me  in 
French,  'My  dear  Audubon,  what  induces 
you  to  subscribe  to  this  work  ?  Your  draw- 
ings are  certainly  far  better ;  and  again,  you 
must  know  as  much  of  the  habits  of  Ameri- 
can birds  as  this  gentleman.'  Whether  Mr. 
Wilson  understood  French  or  not,  or  if  the 
suddenness  with  which  I  paused  disappoint- 
ed him,  I  cannot  tell,  but  I  clearly  perceived 
that  he  was  not  pleased." 

At  Mr.  Wilson's  request  he  took  down  a 
large  portfolio,  and  showed  him  the  drawings 
that  he  had  made  himself.  He  had  now  a 
collection  containing  upward  of  two  hund- 


32  LIFE  IN    THE   WOODS  ;   OR, 

red.  Mr.  Wilson's  surprise  was  great,  as 
he  bad  not  the  most  distant  idea  that  any 
other  individual  besides  himself  was  engaged 
in  such  a  work.  His  surprise  increased  when 
Audubon  assured  him  that  he  had  no  inten- 
tion to  publish ;  for  as  yet  the  most  distant 
idea  of  this  had  not  entered  his  mind.  It  is 
not  impossible  that  this  visit  may  have 
awakened  the  first  thought  in  this  direc- 
tion. 

With  the  utmost  generosity  he  loaned  Mr. 
Wilson  his  drawings  during  his  visit,  ex- 
plored with  him  the  surrounding  woods,  and 
procured  him  birds  that  he  had  never  before 
seen.  He  also  offered  him  any  of  his  draw- 
ings, upon  the  simple  condition  that  his  name 
should  be  published  in  connection  with  them. 
But  Wilson  had  little  of  Audubon's  noble- 
ness of  soul.  He  expressed  no  gratitude,  and 
made  no  response  to  these  generous  offers ; 
but  when,  in  a  succeeding  volume  of  his  work, 
he  referred  to  his  visit  in  Louisville,  he  says, 
with  absolute  untruth  and  peculiar  meanness, 
u  I  neither  received  one  act  of  civility  from 
those  to  whom  I  was  recommended,  one  sub- 
scriber, nor  one  new  bird ;  though  I  delivered 
my  letters,  ransacked  the  woods  repeatedly, 
and  visited  all  the  characters  likely  to  sub 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.  33 

acribe.     Science  or  literature  had  not  one 
friend  in  this  place." 

After  two  years'  residence  in  Louisville, 
Audubon  returned  again  for  a  short  period  to 
Pennsylvania. 
3 


Property  of 

METHODIST  S.UIB8W 

ATHOL, 


34  LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS ;  OR, 


CHAPTER  IT. 

LIFE    IN    KENTUCKY. 

AUDTJBON'S  business  leading  him  principal- 
ly to  the  valleys  of  the  Mississippi  and  the 
rivers  flowing  into  it,  and  this  country  af- 
fording him  the  richest  facilities  for  gratify- 
ing what  had  now  become  the  absorbing  pas- 
sion  of  his  life,  he  made  his  arrangements  to 
leave  the  vicinity  of  his  first  home  upon  the 
Schuylkill  permanently.  His  family  consisted 
only  of  his  wife  and  an  infant  son.  He 
had  fixed  upon  Henderson,  Ky^,  at  that  time 
a  small  village  on  the  Ohio,  about  two  hund- 
red miles  below  Louisville. 

There  were  no  steamers  in  those  days,  or 
any  form  of  public  conveyance,  either  upon 
the  Ohio  or  its  banks.  Taking  his  infant  son 
and  wife,  he  purchased  a  large  skiff,  or  dug- 
out  as  it  was  called,  and  with  a  mattress  and 
food,  and  two  negro  hands  on  board  as  row- 
ers, he  started  for  his  new  home,  floating 
down  the  Ohio  river. 

This  beautiful  river,  now  alive  from  Pitts- 
burgh to  its  mouth  with  boats,  its  banks  smil- 


THE  ADVENTURES   OF  ATJDUBON.     35 

ing  with  numberless  cities  and  villages,  rolled 
on  with  no  other  sound  but  its  own  ripples, 
or  the  occasional  sharp  dashing  of  an  Indian 
paddle ;  and  its  banks  were  covered  with  un- 
broken forests,  the  hunting  grounds  of  sav- 
age foes.  It  was  autumn  when  Audubon 
made  his  voyage,  and  his  mind  was  deeply 
impressed  with  the  wonderful  tints  which 
now  decorated  the  October  verdure.  "  Every 
tree,"  he  says,  "  was  hung  with  long  and 
flowing  festoons  of  different  species  of  vines, 
many  loaded  with  clustered  fruits  of  varied 
brilliancy,  their  rich  bronzed  carmine  min- 
gling beautifully  with  the  yellow  foliage  which 
now  predominated  over  the  yet  green  leaves, 
reflecting  more  lively  tints  from  the  clear 
stream  than  ever  landscape  painter  portrayed 
or  poet  imagined."  Here  and  there,  on  the 
passage,  the  lonely  cabin  of  a  "  squatter,"  as 
the  first  inhabitants  upon  the  new  soil  were 
called,  would  strike  the  eye,  giving  evidence 
of  the  commencement  of  civilization.  They 
met  occasionally  a  flatboat  laden  with  pro- 
duce from  the  head  of  the  small  rivers  flow- 
ing into  the  Ohio,  and  sometimes  with  a 
company  of  emigrants,  the  scouting  parties 
of  the  immense  armies  of  pilgrims  from  other 
shores  seeking  new  homes  in  the  unsubdued 


36  LIFE   IN  THE  WOODS?   OB, 

but  fertile  wilds  of  our  western  lands.  Such 
a  journey,  so  long,  and  marked  by  so  few  in- 
cidents, would  undoubtedly  be  considered 
very  wearisome  by  the  most  of  my  readers 
in  this  dav  when  we  travel  like  the  wind, 
night  and  day,  and  are  even  conscious  of  an- 
noyance often  because  we  do  not  move  even 
more  rapidly ;  but  Audubon,  floating  in  his 
flatboat  down  the  silent  Ohio,  rarely  meet- 
ing a  human  being,  says  of  his  feelings,  "  Pur- 
er pleasures  I  never  felt ;  nor  have  you, 
reader,  unless  indeed  you  have  felt  the  like, 
and  in  such  company." 

After  several  days  of  such  life  as  this  they 
neared  their  chosen  residence.  One  evening, 
approaching  what  was  then  called  Pigeon 
Creek,  a  small  stream  running  into  the  Ohio 
from  the  state  of  Indiana,  they  heard  loud 
voices,  and  imagined  that  they  could  distin- 
guish the  cry  of  "  murder."  They  knew  that 
the  Indians  in  these  parts  had  been  uneasy 
of  late,  and  had  committed  many  depredations, 
making  bloody  attacks  upon  the  scattered 
settlements,  and  they  naturally  felt  some- 
what uncomfortable  at  the  sound  of  this  cry. 

When  they  had  floated  a  little  further  their 
fears  were  very  pleasantly  dispelled.  It 
proved  to  be  a  very  different  cry  from  "  mur- 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.     37 

der "  that  they  heard.  They  soon  came  in 
eight  of  a  Methodist  camp-meeting,  held  un- 
der the  shade  of  a  beach  forest.*  It  was  a 
cry  of  life  and  not  of  death  that  they  heard. 
Thus  early,  when  the  groves  were  the  only 
temples,  while  the  Indian  tribes  were  prowl- 
ing around  their  scattered  dwellings,  the 
itinerant  gathered  the  strange  and  hardy 
population  for  divine  worship,  and  consecrat- 
ed the  rising  states  in  the  hour  of  their  help- 
less infancy  to  the  worship  and  service  of 
God.  Who  can  estimate  the  influence  of 
these  self-denying  pioneers  upon  the  destinies 
of  these  immense  states,  now  holding  in  their 
hands  the  balance  of  power  in  our  country? 
What  would  this  uneducated  people,  from 
different  nations,  and  speaking  different 
tongues,  have  become  had  not  the  faithful 
minister  of  Christ  immediately  followed  upon 
the  trail  of  the  emigrant  ? 

After  a  sail  of  two  hundred  miles,  they 
reached  their  appointed  place  of  landing  at 
Henderson.  "When  I  think  of  these  times," 
says  Audubon,  "  and  call  back  to  my  mind 
the  grandeur  and  beauty  of  those  almost  un- 
inhabited shores ;  when  I  picture  to  myself 
the  dense  and  lofty  summits  of  the  forest, 
*  See  Frontispiece. 


38  LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS;   OR, 

that  everywhere  spread  along  the  hills,  and 
overhung  the  margins  of  the  stream,  unmo- 
lested by  the  ax  of  the  settler;  when  I 
know  how  dearly  purchased  the  safe  naviga- 
tion of  that  river  has  been  by  the  blood  of 
many  worthy  Virginians  ;  when  I  see  that 
no  longer  any  aborigines  are  to  be  found 
there,  and  the  vast  herds  of  elks,  deer,  and 
buffaloes  which  once  pastured  on  these  hills 
and  in  these  valleys,  making  for  themselves 
great  roads  to  the  several  salt  springs,  have 
ceased  to  exist ;  when  I  reflect  that  all  this 
grand  portion  of  our  Union,  instead  of  being 
in  a  state  of  nature,  is  now,  more  or  less, 
covered  with  villages,  farms,  and  towns, 
where  the  din  of  hammers  and  machinery 
is  constantly  heard ;  that  the  woods  are  fast 
disappearing  under  the  ax  by  day  and  the 
fire  by  night;  that  hundreds  of  steamboats 
are  gliding  to  and  fro  over  the  whole  length 
of  this  majestic  river ;  when  I  see  the  surplus 
population  of  Europe  coming  to  assist  in  the 
destruction  of  the  forest,  and  transplanting 
civilization  into  its  darkest  recesses  ;  when  I 
remember  these  extraordinary  changes  have 
all  taken  place  in  the  short  period  of  twenty 
years,  I  pause,  wonder,  and,  although  I  know 
all  to  be  fact,  can  scarcely  believe  its  reality." 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.  39 

Audubon  did  not  yet  entirely  give  up  hia 
efforts  to  better  his  fortunes  by  cultivating 
the  openings  for  trade  offered  in  the  new 
country;  but  these  endeavors  being,  on  the 
whole,  unsuccessful,  and  the  opportunities 
for  pursuing  his  favorite  studies  being  so 
numerous  and  inviting,  the  largest  portion 
of  his  time  was  passed  with  his  gun  and 
pencil  in  the  woods  and  upon  the  banks  of  thn 
mighty  rivers  of  the  West.  He  made  wide 
and  frequent  excursions,  not  only  into  all 
parts  of  the  neighboring  territory,  but  over  a 
great  portion  of  the  inland  country  of  the 
United  States.  "Provided  with  a  rough 
leathern  di'ess,  with  a  knapsack  that  contained 
his  pencils  and  his  colors,  and  with  a  good, 
trusty  gun  at  his  side,  he  wandered  for  days, 
and  even  months,  in  search  of  birds  to  de- 
scribe and  paint.  At  one  time  we  find  him 
watching  for  hours  in  the  tangled  cane-brakes 
of  Kentucky,  where  some  shy  songster  is 
silently  rearing  her  brood ;  at  another  he  is 
scaling  the  almost  inaccessible  mountains, 
where  the  eagle  hovers  over  its  rocky  nest; 
now  he  is  floating  in  a  frail  skiff  down  the 
rushing  tide  of  the  Mississippi,  and  is  carried 
on  he  knows  not  whither  by  the  flood ;  then 
the  jealous  Indian  prowls  about  his  lonely 


40  LIFE   IN  THE  WOODS;   OR, 

path,  or  lurks  beneath  the  trees  on  which  he 
sleeps,  waiting  for  an  opportunity  to  put  an 
end  to  his  life  and  his  uncomprehended 
labors  together;  here  he  begs  shelter  and 
food  in  some  lonely  log-cabin  of  the  frontier, 
and  there  he  wanders  hopelessly  through  the 
interminable  pine-barrens  of  Florida,  while 
hunger  and  thirst,  and  insects  and  wild 
beasts  beleaguer  his  steps  like  so  many  per- 
secuting spirits.  But  wherever  he  is,  what- 
ever lot  betides,  in  difficulty  and  danger,  as 
well  as  in  the  glow  of  discovery  and  success, 
the  same  high,  genial  enthusiasm  warms  him, 
the  same  unfaltering  purpose  sustains  and 
fortifies  his  soul.  The  hero  on  the  battle- 
field never  marched  to  victory  more  firmly 
than  he  marched  to  the  conquests  of  science 
and  art."  * 


WONDERFUL  ENDURANCE  OF  A  NATIVE 
HORSE. 

While  Audubon  was  residing  in  Hender- 
son, a  gentleman  who  had  just  returned 
from  the  head-waters  of  the  Arkansas  river, 
where  he  had  purchased  a  newly-caught 
"wild  horse,"  a  descendant,  probably,  of 
*  "  Homes  of  Amc-rlcan  Authors." 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.     41 

some  of  the  horses  originally  brought  from 
Spain,  and  set  at  liberty  on  the  Mexican 
prairies,  having  no  further  use  for  him, 
offered  him  to  Audubon.  He  was  not  hand- 
some ;  he  had  a  large  head,  and  his  thick, 
uncombed  mane  hung  along  his  neck  to  hi? 
breast,  and  his  tail  reached  nearly  to  the 
ground.  His  chest  was  broad,  his  legs 
smooth  and  sinewy,  and  his  glaring  eyes 
and  wide  nostrils  indicated  spirit  and  endur- 
ance. He  had  never  been  shod,  and  although 
he  had  been  ridden  hard  on  a  long  journey, 
his  black  hoofs  had  suffered  no  damage.  The 
gentleman  had  traveled  upon  his  back  at  the 
rate  of  from  thirty-five  to  forty  miles  a  day 
without  interruption,  giving  him  for  food 
simply  the  grass  of  the  prairie  and  the  canes 
of  the  bottom-lands.  He  wished  Audubon 
to  try  him.  Pie  found  that  he  moved  with 
great  ease,  both  to  himself  and  rider.  He 
leaped  a  log  several  feet  in  diameter  back 
and  forth  a  number  of  times  with  the  utmost 
ease.  To  try  his  strength  Audubon  drove 
him  to  a  swamp  muddy  and  tough.  He 
entered  it  with  his  nose  close  to  the  water, 
as  if  to  judge  its  depth,  and  then  dashed 
through  without  flinching.  He  rode  through 
the  swamp  in  different  directions,  and  found 


42  LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS;   OB, 

him  prompt  and  cheerful.  He  then  drove 
him  to  the  river,  for  there  are  some  horses 
that  appear  to  be  unable  to  swim ;  they  sim- 
ply lie  upon  their  sides  and  float  with  the 
current;  the  rider  must  either  swim  and 
drag  them  to  the  shore  or  abandon  them. 
Audubon  rode  into  the  Ohio,  and  the  horse 
made  off  with  his  head  high  out  of  water, 
and  rather  turned  against  the  current,  his 
nostrils  expanded  and  breathing  freely.  He 
turned  him  down  the  stream,  and  then  again 
up,  but  the  horse,  without  discouragement, 
at  once  yielded  to  the  bit.  When  they  reached 
the  shore  he  stopped  of  his  own  accord,  and 
spreading  his  legs,  shook  the  water  from 
himself  like  a  duck,  nearly  shaking  his  rider 
from  his  seat.  After  this,  putting  him  upon 
a  gallop,  he  dashed  through  the  woods, 
shooting  from  his  saddle  a  turkey-cock, 
which  the  horse  immediately  approached  as 
it  fell,  as  if  he  understood  what  was  to  be 
next  done,  enabling  the  rider  to  pick  it  up 
without  dismounting.  Satisfied  with  the 
trial,  Audubon  purchased  him  for  fifty  dol- 
lars; and  business  calling  him  to  Philadel- 
phia, he  started  on  Barro,  as  he  called  his 
pony,  and  taking  a  circuitous  route,  rode 
him  two  thousand  miles,  traveling  not  less 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.     43 

than  forty  miles  a  day.  When  he  returned 
his  horse  was  in  as  good  order  as  when  he 
left.  On  horseback  was  at  this  time  almost 
the  only  means  of  traveling,  as  coaches  were 
very  rare,  and  there  were  scarcely  any  roads 
fit  for  carriages.  Audubon's  wife  made  the 
journey  from  Henderson  to  Philadelphia  in 
the  same  way.  It  used  to  take  twenty  days 
to  ride  from  Louisville  to  Philadelphia, 
while  the  journey  can  now  be  made  in  a  lit- 
tle more  than  two. 

Bafro  became  so  attached  to  his  master, 
and  under  such  control,  that  when  Audu- 
bon  reached  a  clear  stream  where  he  desired 
to  bathe,  the  horse  would  graze  on  the  bank 
without  fastening,  and  would  not  drink  if  he 
was  told  not  to  do  so.  On  his  way  home- 
ward from  Philadelphia,  at  the  crossing  of 
the  Juniata  river,  a  gentleman  from  New 
Orleans,  named  Vincent  Nolte,  met  him. 
He  was  mounted  upon  a  superb  looking 
horse,  for  which  he  had  paid  three  hundred 
dollars,  and  his  mounted  servant  also  led 
another  as  a  change.  As  Atidubon  ap- 
proached he  praised  the  gentleman's  horse, 
who  not  very  courteously  remarked  that  he 
wished  he  had  as  good  a  one.  Finding 
that  he  was  going  to  Bedford,  Audubon 


44  LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS;   OB, 

asked  him  at  what  hour  he  would  reach 
there. 

"  Just  soon  enough,"  was  the  answer,  "  to 
have  some  trouts  ready  for  our  supper,  pro- 
vided you  will  join  when  you  get  there." 

Barro  seemed  to  hear  and  understand  the 
conversation ;  he  pricked  up  his  ears  and 
lengthened  his  pace.  Mr.  Nolte  chirruped 
to  his  horse,  and  urged  him  to  a  quick  trot ; 
but  it  was  all  in  vain.  Audubon  reached 
the  hotel  a  quarter  of  an  hour  before  him, 
ordered  the  trouts,  saw  that  good  care  was 
taken  of  Barro,  and  stood  at  the  door  ready 
to  welcome  Mr.  Nolte.  His  acquaintance, 
made  under  these  amusing  circumstances, 
proved  of  great  service  to  him.  Mr.  Nolte 
became  a  very  warm  friend,  and  when  Au- 
dubon sailed  for  Europe  gave  him  the  letters 
to  friends  in  Liverpool  by  whose  encourage- 
ment first  of  all,  and  more  than  all  others, 
he  was  inspired  to  undertake  his  great  work. 
It  was  with  regret  that  his  master  finally 
parted  with  Barro,  for  nearly  three  times  as 
much  as  he  cost  him. 


THE   ADVENTUEES  OF  AUDUBON.      45 


CHAPTER  Y. 

ADVENTURES   OF   AUDUBON. 

A  LIFE  in  the  forests  and  on  the  prairies, 
continued  for  so  many  years,  could  not  have 
passed  without  adventures.  Audubon  pass- 
ed through  many  strange  and  some  danger- 
ous scenes,  but,  preserved  by  a  remarkable 
providence,  no  serious  accident  ever  befell 
him. 

THE   MIDNIGHT  ASSASSINS. 

Upon  his  return  once  from  the  upper 
waters  of  the  Mississippi,  he  was  obliged  to 
cross  one  of  the  immense  open  prairies 
which  are  the  marked  features  of  that  por- 
tion of  our  country.  His  only  baggage  was 
his  knapsack  and  his  gun,  and  his  dog  was 
his  only  companion.  The  brilliancy  of  the 
prairie  flowers,  and  the  sports  of  the  fawns 
with  their  dams,  perfectly  fearless  of  the 
rare  spectacle  of  a  man  in  their  haunts,  be 
guiled  the  hours  as  he  moved  slowly  on. 
The  sun  began  to  sink  beneath  the  horizon 
long  before  he  could  discover  any  appear- 


4:6  LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS  ;   OR, 

ance  of  woodland,  a  level  ocean  of  verdure 
spread  out  in  every  direction.  He  had  not 
met  a  man  during  the  day.  His  path  was 
an  old  Indian  track.  As  night  fell  upon  him 
he  naturally  felt  a  strong  desire  to  reach  a 
grove,  where,  under  some  shelter,  he  might 
pass  the  hours  of  darkness  and  rest.  The 
distant  howling  of  the  wolves  gave  him  some 
hope  that  he  was  approaching  a  woodland. 

His  expectations  were  realized,  and  as  he 
came  to  the  skirts  of  the  wood  his  eye  was 
attracted  by  a  fire  light,  toward  which  he 
moved  at  once,  supposing  it  to  proceed  from 
the  camp  of  some  wandering  Indians. 

He  was  mistaken,  however,  for  it  proved 
to  come  from  the  hearth  of  a  small  log-cabin, 
before  which  a  tall  figure  was  passing  and 
repassing,  busily  engaged  in  household 
duties. 

The  tall  figure  proved,  upon  his  reaching 
the  place,  to  be  a  woman,  and  Audubon 
sought  shelter  of  her  for  the  night.  With 
a  gruff  voice  she  answered  in  the  affirmative. 
As  he  entered  and  seated  himself  by  the  fire, 
the  first  object  that  attracted  his  attention 
was  a  finely  formed  young  Indian,  who  sat 
resting  his  head  between  his  hands,  with  his 
elbows  upon  his  knees.  A  long  bow  rested 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.     47 

against  the  log  wall  near  him,  and  a  quantity 
of  arrows  and  two  or  three  raccoon  skins 
lay  near  to  him.  He  did  not  move  upon 
Audubon's  entrance,  and  hardly  seemed  to 
breathe ;  but,  accustomed  as  he  was  to  the 
habits  of  the  Indians,  and  knowing  that  they 
were  silent,  and  paid  no  attention  to  the 
presence  of  a  stranger,  he  considered  this 
only  another  illustration  of  the  natural  or 
forced  apathy  of  the  red  man.  Audubon  ad- 
dressed him  in  French,  a  language  partially 
known  to  many  of  the  Indians  in  this  part 
of  the  country  through  their  intercourse 
with  the  early  French  fur-traders  and  Cath- 
olic pi'iests.  The  Indian  raised  his  head, 
pointed  to  one  of  his  eyes  with  his  finger, 
and  gave  Audubon  a  significant  glance  with 
the  other.  His  face  was  covered  with  blood. 
He  learned  afterward,  that  an  hour  before 
this,  as  he  was  in  the  act  of  discharging  an 
arrow  at  a  raccoon,  the  arrow  had  split  upon 
the  cord,  and  springing  back  had  destroyed 
the  sight  of  his  eye  forever. 

Audubon,  very  hungry  from  long  fasting 
and  his  weary  walk,  began  to  inquire  what 
fare  he  might  expect.  He  took  a  fine  time- 
piece from  his  pocket,  and  told  the  woman 
that  he  was  much  fatigued  and  wished  his 


48  LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS  ;   OR, 

supper,  that  he  might  go  to  his  rest  for  the 
night.  The  sight  of  the  watch  seemed  to 
excite  the  woman  at  once.  It  appeared  to 
strike  her  fancy  wonderfully,  and  she  had  to 
be  permitted  to  enjoy  its  examination  at 
once.  Audubon  took  off  the  gold  chain  that 
secured  it  around  his  nock,  and  presented  it 
to  her  for  her  personal  observation.  He  al- 
lowed her  to  place  it  upon  her  own  brawny 
neck,  while  she  expressed  her  eager  desire 
to  be  possessed  of  such  a  watch.  No  sus- 
picion of  the  woman,  living  as  she  did  in  so 
retired  a  spot,  seems,  as  yet,  to  have  crossed 
the  mind  of  Audubon.  She  told  him  that 
there  was  plenty  of  venison  and  jerked 
(dried)  buffalo  meat  in  the  house,  and  that 
by  opening  the  ashes  on  the  hearth  he  would 
find  a  corn  cake.  The  Indian  rose  from  his 
seat  as  if  in  extreme  pain,  and  passed  and 
repassed  him  several  times.  Once  he  pinched 
him  with  so  much  violence  as  to  call  out 
from  him  an  exclamation  of  anger.  Audu- 
bon looked  at  him,  the  Indian's  eye  met  his ; 
but  his  look  was  so  forbidding  that  it  struck 
a  chill  to  his  heart.  The  Indian  again  seat- 
ed himself,  drew  his  butcher  knife  from  its 
greasy  scabbard,  examined  its  edge,  and  once 
more  replaced  it.  He  then  took  his  toma- 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBOX.      49 

nawk  from  his  back,  filled  the  pipe  of  it  with 
tobacco,  and  continued  casting  upon  him 
peculiar  glances  whenever  the  woman's 
back  happened  to  be  turned  in  the  prepara- 
tion of  the  supper.  The  truth  began  to 
dawn  upon  Audubon's  mind,  and  for  the 
first  moment  he  began  to  suspect  the  danger 
that  surrounded  him ;  but  from  the  corre- 
sponding glances  of  his  silent  companion,  he 
felt  confident  that  in  any  event  the  Indian 
would  be  his  friend.  After  supper  he  asked 
the  woman  for  his  watch,  wound  it  up,  and 
under  the  pretense  of  desiring  to  see  what 
might  be  the  promise  of  the  weather  on  the 
morrow,  he  took  his  gun  and  walked  out  of 
the  cabin.  He  slipped  a  ball  into  each  bar- 
rel, scraped  the  edges  of  his  flints,  renewed 
the  primings,  and  returned  to  the  hut,  giving 
a  favorable  account  of  his  observations  in 
reference  to  the  weather.  He  then  took  a 
few  of  the  bear-skins  laying  loosely  around 
the  cabin,  made  a  bed  in  the  corner  with  them, 
and  calling  his  faithful  dog  to  his  side,  he 
laid  down  with  his  gun  close  to  his  body 
In  a  short  time  he  seemed  to  be  soundly 
asleep. 

Soon  voices  were  heard,  and  through  the 
corners  of  his  eyes  Audubon  saw  two  stout 


60  LIFE  IN   THE  WOODS;   OR, 

youths  make  their  entrance,  bearing  a  dead 
stag  upon  a  pole  between  them.  Having 
disposed  of  their  burden,  they  asked  for 
whisky,  and  helped  themselves  to  it  very 
freely.  Observing  the  stranger  on  the  bear 
skins  and  the  wounded  Indian,  they  asked 
their  mother  (for  so  she  proved  to  be)  who 
the  lodger  was,  and  why  the  Indian  rascal 
was  in  the  house.  They  knew  the  Indian 
could  not  understand  a  word  of  English. 
The  mother  quieted  them,  insisting  on  their 
speaking  lower,  and  told  them  about  Audu- 
bon's  watch.  She  then  took  them  away  into 
a  corner,  and  engaged  in  an  animated  con- 
versation in  a  very  low  tone  of  voice.  He 
could  readily  guess  the  subject  of  it.  He 
tapped  his  dog  gently,  and  as  he  wagged 
his  tail,  Audubon  noticed  that  his  eyes  al- 
most blazed  as  they  were  fixed  alternately 
upon  himself  and  upon  the  trio  whispering 
in  the  corner.  The  Indian  also  exchanged 
glances  with  him.  The  boys  drank  them- 
selves into  such  a  state  as  hardly  to  preserve 
their  consciousness,  and  the  old  woman  her- 
self made  frequent  applications  of  the  whisky 
bottle  to  her  mouth.  She  soon  rose,  and 
taking  a  large  carving-knife,  went  to  the 
grindstone  to  whet  its  edge.  He  saw  her 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.  51 

deliberately  pour  on  the  water,  turning  the 
stone  with  her  foot,  working  away  upon  the 
murderous  instrument,  until  the  sweat  cov- 
ered his  body  in  spite  of  his  determination 
and  preparation  to  defend  himself.  Her 
task  finished,  she  walked  to  her  reeling  sons 
and  said : 

"  There,  that'll  soon  settle  him !  and  then 
for  the  watch." 

Audubon  turned,  cocked  his  gun-locks  si- 
lently, and  touched  his  faithful  companion. 
It  was  a  startling  moment ;  all  was  ready. 
The  fiendish  woman  advanced  slowly,  evi- 
dently considering  the  best  way  of  dispatch- 
ing him,  while  her  sons  should  be  engaged 
with  the  Indian.  Audubon  was  several 
times  upon  the  eve  of  rising  and  shooting 
her  upon  the  spot,  but  another  fate  awaited 
her.  The  door  was  suddenly  opened,  and 
there  entered  two  stout  travelers,  each  with 
a  rifle  on  his  shoulder.  Audubon  leaped 
npon  his  feet  in  a'moment,  and  gave  them 
a  hearty  welcome.  The  tale  of  the  night 
was  soon  told.  The  drunken  sons  were 
properly  secured ;  the  woman,  in  spite  ol 
her  vigorous  self-defense  and  loud  protesta- 
tions, was  also  bound.  The  Indian  fairly 
danced  for  joy,  and  gave  them  to  under- 


52  LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS ;  OR, 

stand,  that  as  he  could  not  sleep  for  pain,  he 
would  remain  on  guard  during  the  night. 
There  was,  however,  more  conversation  than 
sleep  during  the  night. 

When  the  morning  broke  the  feet  of  tTiP 
prisoners,  now  well-sobered,  were  unbound, 
their  hands  being  securely  tied,  and  having 
set  fire  to  the  cabin,  as  was  the  custom  in 
the  administration  of  justice  in  such  cases  in 
the  woods,  and  bestowed  summary  punish- 
ment in  the  adjoining  grove  upon  the  mur- 
derers, they  gave  the  skins  and  implements 
found  in  the  hut  to  the  young  Indian,  who 
was  much  delighted  with  the  satisfactory 
termination  of  the  affair.  Perhaps  the  most 
singular  fact  in  connection  with  this  adven- 
ture is  his  assurance,  that  during  his  wan- 
derings, extending  through  a  period  of  more 
than  twenty-five  years,  in  every  portion  of 
the  frontier  of  our  country,  this  was  the 
only  time  when  his  life  was  endangered  by  a 
fellow-creature.  Not  many  miles  from  the 
pluce  whei-e  this  event  occurred,  then  far 
from  civilized  habitations,  is  now  the  site  oi 
a  thriving  town. 


THE  ADVENTUEES  OF  AUDUBON.      53 


THE  HEARTY  WELCOME  IN  THE  WOODS. 

As  a  fair  counterpart  to  this,  showing  the 
true  hospitality  of  the  woods  to  this  day, 
»n  a  degree  characteristic  of  the  dwellers  in 
the  log-cabins  of  the  far  West,  the  following 
night  adventure  of  Audubon  may  be  related. 

His  son,  a  stripling,  had  accompanied  him 
upon  an  excursion  on  foot  of  several  hund- 
red miles.  As  they  had  become  somewhat 
fatigued,  they  hired  a  wagon  and  driver  for 
the  next  hundred  miles,  and  jogged  on  over 
the  rough  roads  as  rapidly  as  they  could. 
The  driver,  feeling  perfectly  familiar  with  the 
country,  left  the  main  road  for  a  short  cut 
across  the  country.  Before  they  could 
reach  the  road  again  a  terrible  storm  came 
upon  them,  and  night,  coming  earlier  on  ac- 
count of  the  clouds,  dark  and  dismal,  settled 
down  upon  them.  The  rain  was  falling  in 
torrents,  and  the  driver  had  lost  all  idea  of 
his  direction  ;  the  way  was  rendered  danger- 
ous by  falling  trees,  and  they  could  only 
give  loose  reins  to  the  horses,  and  trust  to 
them  to  draw  them  out  of  their  forlorn  con- 
dition. Suddenly  the  horses  altered  their 
course,  and  soon  after  they  perceived  the 


54  LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS  ;   OR, 

glimmer  of  a  faint  light  in  the  distance.  At 
the  same  moment  they  heard  the  barking  of 
dogs.  The  horses  stepped  near  a  high  fence 
and  commenced  neighing,  while  the  occu- 
pants of  the  wagon  set  up  a  loud  shout- 
The  next  moment  a  flaming  pine-torch  mov- 
ed through  the  darkness,  and  advanced  to 
the  spot  where  they  were  dripping  in  their 
misery.  A  negro  boy  bore  it,  who,  without 
waiting  for  a  question,  called  upon  them  to 
follow  the  fence,  and  said  that  master  had 
sent  him  to  show  the  strangers  to  the  house. 

They  soon  reached  the  gate  of  a  little  yard, 
in  which  a  small  cabin  was  discovered.  A 
young  man,  tall  and  fine-looking,  stood  at 
the  open  door,  and  desired  them  to  dis- 
mount and  come  in. 

"A  bad  night  this,  strangers,"  said  he; 
"  how  came  you  to  be  near  the  fence  ?  You 
must  certainly  have  lost  your  way,  for  there 
is  no  public  road  within  twenty  miles." 

"  Sure  enough,"  was  the  answer ;  "  we 
have  lost  our  way,  but,  thank  God !  we  have 
got  to  a  house,  and  thank  you  for  our 
reception." 

"Reception!"  replied  the  woodsman,  "no 
very  great  thing  after  all ;  you  are  all  here 
safe,  and  that's  enough.  Eliza,"  said  he, 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.  65 

turning  to  his  wife,  "  see  about  some  vict- 
uals for  the  strangers;  and  you,  Jupiter," 
addressing  the  negro  lad,  "  bring  some  wood 
and  mend  the  fire.  Eliza,  call  the  boys  up, 
and  treat  the  strangers  the  best  way  you 
can.  Come,  gentlemen,  pull  off  your  wet 
clothes  and  draw  to  the  fire.  Eliza,  bring 
some  socks  and  a  shirt  or  two." 

Mr.  Audubon  had  been  so  used  to  the 
hearty  hospitality  of  the  cabin,  that  he  was 
not  so  much  impressed  by  this  generous  re- 
ception ;  but  his  son,  to  whom  it  was  all  new, 
whispered  to  him,  "how  pleasant  it  is  to 
meet  such  good  people." 

The  young  wife  moved  with  so  much 
liveliness,  that  no  one  could  doubt  for  a  mo- 
ment that  her  labors  for  her  guests  afforded 
real  pleasure  to  her.  The  negro  boys  were 
busy.  The  cries  of  the  poultry,  startled 
from  their  slumbers,  gave  promise  of  the 
coming  meal,  and  the  whole  cottage  was 
beaming  with  the  rousing  fire  upon  the 
hearth.  The  host  remarked  that  it  was  a 
pity  they  had  not  chanced  to  come  that  day 
three  weeks  before  ;  "  for,"  said  he,  "it  was 
our  wedding-day,  and  father  gave  us  a  good 
house-warming.  You  might  have  fared  bet- 
ter ;  but  if  you  can  eat  bacon  and  eggs  and 


56  LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS  ;  OR, 

a  broiled  chicken,  you  shall  have  that.  I 
have  no  whisky  in  the  house,  (well  that  he 
had  not,)  but  father  has  some  capital  cider, 
and  I'll  go  over  and  bring  a  keg  of  it." 

This,  as  my  young  temperance  readers 
will  see,  was  long  before  temperance  societies 
were  dreamed  of.  They  asked  him  how  far 
distant  his  father  lived. 

"  Only  three  miles,"  said  he,  "  and  I'll  be 
back  before  Eliza  has  cooked  your  supper." 

Sure  enough,  off  he  went  in  his  generous 
zeal,  the  rain  pouring  in  torrents  all  the 
while.  The  newly  married  couple  were 
very  young.  Their  means  seemed  barely 
sufficient  to  make  them  comfortable,  but 
their  kindness  knew  no  limit.  The  cabin 
was  new.  The  logs,  which  were  of  the  tulip 
tree,  were  nicely  stripped  of  their  bark. 
Every  part  was  clean.  The  garments  of 
the  wife,  made  of  substantial  homespun, 
hung  on  one  side,  and  those  of  the  husband 
on  the  other.  A  large  spinning-wheel,  with 
beautiful  rolls  of  wool  and  cotton,  occupied 
one  corner.  In  another  was  a  small  cup- 
board, containing  the  little  stock  of  new 
dishes,  cups,  plates,  and  tin  pans.  The 
small  table  was  new,  and  as  bright  as  pol- 
ished walnut  could  be.  There  was  only  one 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.      57 

bedstead,  and  this  was  entirely,  together 
with  its  bedding,  of  home  manufacture,  the 
counterpane  showing  the  fine  skill  of  the 
young  mistress  in  weaving.  A  fine  rifle 
hung  over  the  fireplace.  A  white  cloth  soon 
covered  the  table,  which  was  at  once  loaded 
with  the  most  inviting  provisions;  and  just 
at  this  moment  the  husband's  horse  was 
heard  clattering  without,  announcing  his 
return.  He  bore  triumphantly  in  his  keg  of 
cider,  saying  as  he  entered, 

"  Only  think,  Eliza,  father  wanted  to  rob 
us  of  the  strangers,  and  was  coming  here  to 
ask  them  to  his  own  house,  just  as  if  we  could 
not  give  them  enough  ourselves.  Come, 
gentlemen,"  he  continued,  "  draw  up  to  the 
table  and  help  yourselves." 

While  they  were  doing  full  justice  to  the 
meal,  the  wife  resumed  her  spinning,  and 
the  husband  waited  upon  the  guests,  and  to 
their  questions  cheerfully  gave  them  an 
account  of  his  condition  and  prospects.  His 
father  came  from  Virginia  when  young,  and 
settled  on  the  large  tract  of  land  around 
them,  and  by  hard  work  had  done  well. 
There  were  nine  children  of  them,  nearly  all 
married  and  settled  in  the  neighborhood. 
The  old  gentleman  had  divided  his  land 


68  LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS;   OR, 

among  them.  Two  years  ago  he  received 
his  portion,  and  a  finer  piece  could  not  be 
found.  He  had  cleared  a  couple  of  fields 
and  planted  an  orchard.  His  father  had 
given  him  a  small  stock  of  cattle  and  horses. 
He  had  camped  most  of  the  time  while 
clearing  and  planting.  When  about  to 
marry  the  young  woman  then  at  the  wheel, 
his  father  had  helped  him  to  build  his  cabin. 
They  had  begun  life,  he  thought,  as  well  as 
most  folks,  and,  the  Lord  willing,  might 
make  themselves  a  comfortable  home.  "  But, 
gentlemen,"  said  he,  breaking  in  upon  the 
thread  of  his  story,  "  you  don't  eat.  Eliza, 
maybe  the  strangers  would  like  some  milk." 
The  wife  at  once  stopped  her  work,  and 
hurried  to  meet  the  request  of  her  husband. 

But  now  came  the  arrangements  for  the 
night.  "Eliza,"  said  the  husband,  "the 
gentlemen  would  like  to  lie  down,  I  guess. 
What  sort  of  a  bed  can  you  fix  for  them  ?" 
Eliza  looked  up  with  a  smile  and  said: 
.  "Why,  Willie,  we  will  divide  the  bedding 
and  arrange  half  on  the  floor,  on  which  we 
can  sleep  very  well ;  the  gentlemen  will  have 
the  best  we  can  spare  them." 

Audubon  objected  to  this  arrangement, 
and  proposed  to  lay  on  his  blanket  by  the 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AULUBON.     59 

fire ;  but  they  would  not  for  a  moment  per« 
mit  this,  and  the  debate  was  settled  by  their 
carrying  out  their  own  plan,  taking  to  the 
floor,  and  yielding  the  bed  to  the  guests. 

The  weather  was  bad  in  the  morning,  and 
the  host  with  great  earnestness,  seconded  by 
the  entreaties  of  his  wife,  pressed  them  to 
remain  ;  and  when  they  insisted  on  going, 
provided  a  hearty  breakfast  for  them,  and,  on 
horseback,  piloted  them  back  to  the  road, 
which  they  had  lost.  Not  a  penny  would 
he  receive  for  the  entertainment,  but  bade 
them  adieu  with  a  smile,  hoping  that  some 
other  fortunate  mistake  would  bring  them 
again  under  his  roof. 

THE  EARTHQUAKE. 

While  traveling  one  afternoon  through 
what  was  then  called  the  "barrens"  of  Ken- 
tucky, in  the  month  of  November,  jogging 
along  on  horseback,  he  remarked  a  suddeu 
and  strange  darkness  rising  from  the  west- 
ern horizon.  Accustomed  as  he  was  to  sud- 
den and  heavy  thunder-storms,  he  took  but 
little  notice  of  the  clouds,  only  encouraging 
the  speed  of  his  horse  in  order  to  reach  the 
shelter  of  a  friend's  house,  not  far  distant. 


60  LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS;   OB, 

before  the  rain  should  come  in  torrents. 
After  riding  about  a  mile,  he  imagined  that 
he  heard  the  distant  rumbling  of  the  coming 
tornado,  and  spurred  his  horse  to  still  greater 
speed  ;  but  much  to  his  surprise,  instead  of 
moving  faster  the  horse  nearly  stopped,  and 
began  to  place  one  foot  after  another  as 
carefully  upon  the  ground  as  if  he  were 
walking  upon  a  sheet  of  ice.  Audubou 
thought  he  had  suddenly  broken  down,  and 
was  on  the  point  of  dismounting  to  lead 
him,  when  suddenly  he  fell,  groaning  pit- 
eously.  He  hung  down  his  head,  spread 
out  his  fore  legs,  as  if  to  save  himself  from 
falling,  and  then  remained  perfectly  quiet, 
groaning  all  the  time.  He  thought  his  horse 
was  about  to  die,  and  was  on  the  point  of 
springing  from  his  back,  when,  in  an  instant, 
all  the  shrubs  and  trees  began  to  move  from 
their  very  roots,  the  ground  rose  and  fell  in 
successive  furrows,  like  the  waters  of  the 
sea,  and  it  broke  upon  him,  to  his  dismay, 
that  he  was  experiencing  the  shocks  of  a 
severe  earthquake.  The  instinct  of  his  horse 
had  apprehended  sooner  than  himself  the 
nature  of  the  commotion  around  them.  He 
had  heard  and  read  of  earthquakes,  but  no 
words  could  express  the  sensations  he  then 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.   61 

experienced.  He  found  himself  rocking 
upon  his  horse,  like  a  child  in  a  cradle, 
expecting  every  moment  the  ground  would 
open  and  engulf  them  both.  The  fearful 
convulsion  lasted  only  a  few  minutes,  and 
the  heavens  again  brightened  as  quickly  as 
they  had  become  obscured.  His  hoi-sw 
at  once  raised  his  head,  rose  upon  his 
feet,  and  galloped  off  as  lively  as  if  without 
a  rider.  Not  being  without  apprehension 
that  the  shock  might  have  been  more  severe 
at  his  own  house,  he  hurried  as  rapidly  as 
his  steed  could  carry  him,  and  discovered  to 
his  comfort  that  no  harm  had  occurred,  and 
that  his  family  had  only  felt  alarmed  in  ref- 
erence to  his  safety. 

The  earthquake,  however,  was  not  over. 
Shock  succeeded  shock  almost  every  day 
and  night  for  several  weeks.  Strange  to 
say,  they  became  so  used  to  it  as  to  cease 
almost  to  notice  it.  On  one  of  these  occa- 
sions he  was  at  a  friend's  house  attending  a 
truly  western  wedding,  the  guests  coming 
from  a  distance,  and  remaining  all  night  with 
their  host. 

They  were  in  a  log-house  of  large  dimen 
sions,  and  solidly  built.  The  host  was  a 
physician,  and  had  his  surgical  instruments 


62  LIFE  IN  THE   WOODS;   OE, 

and  bottles  of  medicine  arranged  on  shelves 
in  one  corner  of  the  house.  It  was  late 
when  they  retired,  and  as  morning  began  to 
dawn,  the  rumbling  noise  preceding  the 
earthquake  began  so  loudly  as  to  arouse 
every  inmate  from  slumber,  and  to  drive 
them  in  great  consternation  from  their  beds. 
Every  person,  old  and  young,  filled  with 
alarm  at  the  creaking  of  the  log-house,  and 
apprehending  its  instant  destruction,  rushed 
wildly  in  their  sleeping  garments  to  the  in- 
closure  in  front  of  the  dwelling.  The  earth 
waved  like  a  field  of  corn  before  the  breeze, 
and  the  birds  left  their  perches  and  flew 
about,  apparently  'in  great  distress.  The 
doctor,  anxious  in  reference  to  his  perishable 
jars  of  medicine,  rushed  into  his  shop-room, 
and  tried  to  prevent  their  dancing  off  the 
shelves  to  the  floor.  He  spread  out  his  arms 
and  jumped  vigorously  about  the  front  of 
the  cases,  pushing  them  back  here  and 
there ;  but  with  so  little  success,  that  before 
the  shock  was  over  he  had  lost  nearly  all 
he  possessed.  The  earthquakes  produced 
more  serious  consequences  in  other  places. 
Near  New  Madrid,  and  for  some  distance  on 
the  Mississippi,  the  earth  was  rent  asunder 
in  several  places,  one  or  two  islands  sunk 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.      63 

forever,  and  the  inhabitants  fled  in  dismay 
toward  the  eastern  shores. 


THE  TORNADO. 

There  is  another  sublime  exhibition  of  the 
power  of  the  great  Creator  in  the  elements 
which  ho  has  created,  and  which  he  alone  holds 
in  his  hand,  of  common  occurrence  in  this 
western  world.  Audubon  thus  describes  his 
personal  experience  of  a  tornado.  He  had 
left  the  village  of  Shawaney,  situated  upon  the 
banks  of  the  Ohio.  The  weather  was  very 
pleasant.  His  horse  was  jogging  quietly 
along.  He  had  just  forded  Highland  Creek, 
and  was  entering  upon  a  tract  of  interval 
land,  called  bottom  land,  lying  between  it 
and  Canoe  Creek,  when  suddenly  he  re- 
marked a  great  difference  in  the  appearance 
of  the  heavens.  A  thick  haze  overspread 
the  country,  and  for  some  time  he  expected 
an  earthquake.  His  horse,  however,  with 
unerring  instinct,  gave  none  of  the  ac- 
customed signs  of  such  an  occurrence.  At 
the  edge  of  the  valley,  he  stopped  at  a  brook 
to  quench  his  thirst.  He  was  leaning  on 
his  knees,  with  his  lips  near  the  water,  when 
he  heard  a  distant  murmuring  sound  of  an 


64  LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS;   OR, 

extraordinary  nature.  After  drinking,  ;is  he 
arose,  and  looked  toward  the  south-west,  he 
observed  a  yellowish  oval  spot,  differing 
from  anything  he  had  ever  seen  before. 
Little  time  was  left  him  for  consideration, 
as  the  next  moment  a  smart  breeze  began 
to  disturb  the  taller  trees.  It  soon  increased 
to  an  unaccustomed  height,  and  soon  the 
smaller  branches  were  seen  falling  in  a  slant- 
ing direction  to  the  ground.  Two  minutes 
had  scarcely  elapsed,  when  the  whole  forest 
before  him  was  in  a  fearful  motion.  Trees 
were  pressed  against  each  other  with  a 
creaking  noise.  Turning  toward  the  direc- 
tion from  which  the  wind  blew,  he  saw,  to 
his  astonishment,  the  noblest  trees  of  the 
forest  bending  their  lofty  heads  for  a  while, 
and  then,  unable  to  stand  against  the  blast, 
snapping  with  a  crash  like  thunder.  So 
rapid  was  the  progress  of  the  storm,  that 
before  he  could  think  of  taking  measures  for 
his  safety,  the  hurricane  was  passing  opposite 
to  the  place  where  he  stood.  ''  Never,"  he 
says,  "can  I  forget  the  scone  which  at  that 
moment  presented  itself.  The  tops  of  the 
trees  were  seen  moving  in  the  strangest 
manner,  in  the  central  current  of  the  tem- 
pest, which  carried  along  with  it  a  mingled 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.   65 

mass  of  twigs  and  foliage  that  completely 
obscured  the  view.  Some  of  the  largest 
trees  were  seen  bending  and  writhing  under 
the  gale ;  others  suddenly  snapped  across ; 
and  many  after  a  momentary  resistance  fell, 
uprooted,  to  the  earth.  The  mass  of  branch- 
es, twigs,  foliage,  and  dust  that  moved 
through  the  air  was  whirled  onward  like  a 
cloud  of  feathers,  and  on  passing,  disclosed 
a  wide  space  filled  with  fallen  trees,  naked 
stumps,  and  heaps  of  shapeless  ruins,  which 
marked  the  path  of  the  tempest.  This  space 
was  about  a  fourth  of  a  mile  in  breadth,  and 
to  my  imagination  resembled  the  dried  up 
bed  of  the  Mississippi,  with  its  thousands  of 
planters  and  sawyers,*  strewed  in  the  sand 
and  inclined  in  various  degrees.  The  horri- 
ble noise  resembled  that  of  the  great  cata- 
racts of  Niagara,  and  as  it  howled  along  in 
the  track  of  the  desolating  tempest,  it  pro- 
duced a  feeling  in  my  mind  which  it  is  im- 
possible to  describe.  The  principal  force  of 
the  hurricane  was  now  over,  although  mill- 
ions of  twigs  and  small  branches,  that  had 
been  brought  from  a  great  distance,  were 

*  These  are  immense  trees  with  one  end  firmly  fixed 
in  the  bed  of  the  river,  and  the  other  either  quietly  pro- 
truding above  the  water,  or  swaying  with  the  current. 
o 


66  LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS;   OR, 

seen  following  the  olast,  as  if  drawn  onward 
by  some  mysterious  power.  They  floated  in 
the  air  for  some  hours  after,  as  if  supported 
by  the  thick  mass  of  dust  that  rose  high 
above  the  ground.  The  sky  had  now  a 
greenish,  lurid'  hue,  and  an  extremely  dis- 
agreeable sulphureous  odor  was  diffused  in 
the  atmosphere.  I  waited  in  amazement, 
having  sustained  no  material  injury,  until  na- 
ture at  length  assumed  her  wonted  aspect." 
He  was  obliged  to  lead  his  horse  by  the 
bridle,  to  enable  him  to  leap  the  fallen  trees, 
while  he  scrambled  under  or  over  them  as 
best  he  could.  In  other  portions  of  its  path 
across  the  country  the  tornado  had  over- 
turned houses,  and  caught  up  animals,  and 
even  human  beings,  in  its  course.  A  cow 
was  found  lodged  in  the  fork  of  a  half  brok- 
en tree.  Audubon  crossed  the  path  of  the 
Btorm  afterward  seven  hundred  miles  from 
the  point  where  he  personally  experienced  its 
fury.  It  seemed  to  have  swept  along  its 
whole  course  a  path  about  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  wide. 

"AN  ODD  FISH." 

Audubon's  adventures  were  not  only  con- 
nected with  strange  events   in  the  natural 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.      67 

world,  but  often  with  singular  individuals. 
"  What  an  odd-looking  fellow,"  said  Audu- 
bon  to  himself  one  day  as,  walking  by  the 
river,  he  observed  a  man  lauding  from  a 
boat,  with  what  seemed  to  be  a  bundle  of 
dried  clover  upon  his  back.  He  hurried  up 
the  bank,  while  the  boatmen  stared  at  the 
grotesque  figure  he  cut,  and  addressing  him, 
asked  if  he  would  point  out  the  residence  of 
Mr.  Audubon.  "  I  am  the  man,"  was  the 
answer,  "  and  will  gladly  lead  you  to  my 
dwelling." 

The  man  rubbed  his  hands  together  with 
delight,  and,  without  any  remark,  handed  him 
a  letter.  It  was  from  a  friend,  and  contained 
only  the  amusing  sentence  : 

"My  dear  Audubon,  I  send  you  an  odd  fish, 
which  you  may  prove  to  be  undescribed,  and 
hope  you  will  do  so  in  your  next  letter." 

Not  apprehending  the  meaning  at  once, 
Mr.  Audubon  innocently  asked,  turning  to 
the  individual,  where  the  odd  fish  was.  The 
gentleman  smiled,  rubbed  his  hands,  and 
with  the  greatest  good-humor,  remarked 
that  he  presumed  his  friend  referred  to  him 
under  the  title  of  an  odd  fish.  Mr.  Audubon, 
somewhat  confounded  by  his  own  stupidity, 
could  only  stammer  out  an  apology. 


68  LIFE   IN  THE   WOODS  J  OR, 

When  they  reached  the  house,  Mr.  Audubon 
ordered  the  servant  to  go  to  the  boat  for  the 
gentleman's  baggage ;  but  he  at  once  assured 
him  that  he  had  only  what  was  upon  his  back. 
He  then  loosened  his  pack  of  weeds,  pulled 
off  his  shoes,  and  while  engaged  in  drawing 
off  his  stockings,  taking  special  care  to  cover 
the  holes  about  the  heels,  he  related  in  the 
liveliest  manner  his  late  adventures.  He  had 
walked  a  great  distance,  had  only  taken  pas- 
sage in  the  ark  across  the  river,  and  was 
sorry  that  his  garments  were  so  much  the 
worse  for  wear.  He  refused  an  offer  of  clean 
clothes,  and  somewhat  reluctantly  accepted 
water,  to  render  his  hands  and  face  more 
presentable  at  dinner.  He  wore  a  long, 
loose,  yellow  nankeen  coat,  much  injured  by 
use,  and  stained  all  over  with  the  juice  of 
plants.  He  had  a  waistcoat  of  the  same 
material,  with  enormous  pockets,  buttoning 
to  the  chin,  and  hanging  over  his  pantaloons. 
The  latter  were  made  tight,  and  buttoned 
round  his  ankles.  His  beard  was  very  long, 
and  his  lank  black  hair  hung  loosely  over 
his  shoulders.  He  had  a  high,  broad  fore- 
head, and  when  he  spoke  gave  evidence  of 
strong  mental  powers. 

He  informed  Mr.  Audubon  that  he  had 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.  69 

come  expressly  to  see  his  drawings,  as  he 
had  been  told  that  he  accompanied  his  rep- 
resentations of  birds  with  truthful  sketches 
of  plants  and  shrubs  found  in  the  same  local- 
ities. He  was  impatient  at  once  to  see  his 
portfolios.  When  his  eye  chanced  to  fall 
upon  one  quite  new  to  him,  he  looked  at  it 
carefully,  shook  his  head,  and  remarked  that 
no  such  plant  existed  in  nature.  Mr.  Audu- 
bon  quietly  remarked  that  it  was  common  in 
the  immediate  neighborhood,  and  that  he 
would  show  it  to  him  on  the  morrow. 

"  But  why  to-morrow  ?"  was  the  impatient 
response ;  "  let  us  go  now." 

They  went  out  together,  and  when,  on 
the  river  bank,  Mr.  Audubon  pointed  out 
the  plant,  the  Frenchman,  for  such  he  was, 
seemed  fairly  to  be  beside  himself  over  it. 

"  He  plucked  the  plants  one  after  another, 
danced,  hugged  me  in  his  arms,  and  exult- 
ingly  told  me  that  he  had  found  not  merely 
a  new  species,  but  a  new  genus.  When  we 
returned  home  the  naturalist  opened  the 
bundle  which  he  had  brought  on  his  back, 
and  took  out  a  journal,  rendered  water-proof 
by  means  of  a  leather  case,  examined  the 
new  plant,  and  wrote  its  description." 

It  is  from  the  self-denying  labors  of  such 


70  LIFE   IN  THE   WOODS;   OR, 

men  as  these  that  our  works  on  science  are 
collected.  We,  in  our  pleasant  homes  and 
schools,  enjoy  the  results  of  thousands  of 
miles  of  travel  and  of  the  most  careful  study. 
His  criticisms  upon  the  drawings  of  Audubon 
were  of  great  service  to  him,  from  his  knowl- 
edge both  of  nature  and  of  books.  The 
Frenchman  would  only  believe  what  he  saw 
with  his  own  eyes.  The  light  of  the  candle, 
the  windows  being  open,  attracted  many 
insects,  among  which  was  a  large  species  of 
the  beetle,  the  scientific  name  of  which  is 
scarabseus.  Audubon  caught  one,  and  as- 
sured the  naturalist  that  it  was  so  strong 
that  it  could  crawl  upon  the  table  with  the 
candlestick  upon  its  back. 

"I  should  like  to  see  the  experiment 
made,"  was  his  immediate  response.  Ac- 
cordingly, the  insect  was  placed  underneath 
the  candlestick,  causing  it  constantly  to 
change  its  position,  until,  coming  upon  the 
edge  of  the  table,  it  dropped  upon  the  floor, 
and  taking  to  its  wings  made  its  escape. 

Very  late  at  night  the  Frenchman  was 
shown  to  his  room.  All  had  retired  in  the 
house.  Mr.  Audubon  supposed  all  to  be 
asleep  but  himself,  when  suddenly  he  heard 
a  great  uproar  in  the  room  given  to  the  nat- 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.  71 

uralist.  Mr.  Audubon  hurried  to  the  door, 
and,  to  his  astonishment,  found  his  guest 
nude  and  running  about  the  room,  holding 
the  handle  of  his  favorite  violin,  the  body 
of  which  he  had  battered  to  pieces  against 
the  wall,  attempting  to  kill  the  bats  which 
had  entered  the  open  window,  attracted  by 
the  light.  Mr.  Audubon  stood  amazed,  as 
the  man  continued  jumping  around  until  he 
was  fairly  exhausted ;  when  he  begged  him 
to  procure  him  one  of  the  animals,  as  he 
was  confident  that  it  was  a  new  species. 
This  Mr.  Audubon  soon  succeeded  in  doing. 
The  struggle  over,  he  bade  him  good-night 
once  more,  leaving  him  in  the  room,  now 
perfectly  strewed  with  his  scattered  plants. 
The  Frenchman  noticed  the  curious  look 
with  which  he  surveyed  the  confusion. 

"Never  mind,"  said  he,  "never  mind. 
I'll  soon  arrange  them  again.  I  have  the 
bat,  and  that's  enough." 

They  passed  a  number  of  days  in  their 
several  occupations;  the  Frenchman  search- 
ing for  plants,  and  Audubon  for  birds.  One 
day,  as  Mr.  Audubon  returned,  wet  and  be- 
spattered with  mud,  from  a  hunt  in  a  cane- 
brake,  his  guest  expressed  a  desire  to  be 
shown  the  interior  of  one  of  these  places,  as 


72  LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS;   OK, 

he  had  never  visited  one.  The  cane  for- 
merly grew  spontaneously  over  great  portions 
of  Kentucky,  but  the  introduction  of  cattle 
and  horses,  who  greatly  relish  them,  together 
with  cultivation,  has  caused  it  rapidly  to 
disappear.  It  grows  to  a  height  of  from 
twelve  *D  thirty  feet,  and  is  from  one  to 
two  inches  in  diameter.  The  plants  grow 
close  together,  and  becoming  tangled,  pre- 
sent an  almost  impenetrable  thicket.  Wild 
beasts  make  their  haunts  here,  and  to  fol- 
low the  bear  or  the  cougar  through  these 
retreats  is  a  labor  of  peculiar  difficulty  and 
danger.  The  hunters  often  cut  little  paths 
through  the  thickets  with  their  knives ;  but 
the  usual  mode  of  passing  through  is  by 
pushing  one's  self  backward,  and  thus  wedg- 
ing a  way  between  the  stems. 

Having  fixed  a  day,  after  an  early  break- 
fast they  started  for  the  cane-brake.  For  a 
time  they  proceeded  without  much  difficulty, 
Audubon  leading  the  way,  and  cutting  the 
cane  as  he  advanced.  Soon  the  path  became 
more  tangled;  they  were  obliged  to  turn 
their  backs  to  the  foe  and  pusi  forward  in 
that  way  as  best  they  might.  The  natural- 
ist stopped  now  and  then  to  pluck  and 
examine  a  plant.  After  a  time  they  came 


'Audubon  and  the  Odd   Fish   in  the  Cane-brake. 


v 

THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.     75 

upon  a  fallen 'tree,  which  so  obstructed  their 
passage  that,  instead  of  attempting  to  push 
themselves  through  its  branches  and  over  it, 
they  were  just  on  the  eve  of  going  round  it, 
when  from  the  center  of  the  tangled  mass 
out  rushed  a  bear,  bursting  aside  the  canes 
with  great  force  and  snuffing  the  air  in  a 
frightful  manner.  The  poor  Frenchman  was 
suddenly  terror-struck,  and  in  his  haste  to 
escape  made  a  desperate  attempt  to  run. 
He  was  soon,  however,  perfectly  and  help 
lessly  pinioned  by  the  canes.  His  terrible 
fright  and  his  ridiculous  position  were  al- 
most too  much  for  Audubon,  and  he  could 
hardly  refrain  from  laughter.  It  was  aid, 
however,  and  not  a  laugh  at  his  expense, 
that  the  somewhat  irritated  naturalist  now 
loudly  demanded.  He  would  have  been 
glad  to  have  retraced  his  way  to  the  point  of 
starting;  but  as  Audubon  wished  him  to 
have  a  clear  idea  of  a  cane-brake,  now  that 
the  bear  had  disappeared,  he  persuaded  him 
to  advance,  as  the  worst  difficulties  were 
probably  conquered. 

The  way,  however,  became  more  tangled, 
and  a  dark,  heavy  cloud  began  to  gather 
over  them.  The  poor  naturalist,  unused  to 
such  adventures,  panted,  perspired,  and 


76  LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS;   OR, 

seemed  quite  overcome  with  'fatigue.  The 
thunder  now  began  to  rumble,  and  soon  the 
rain  fell  in  floods.  The  withered  particles 
of  leaves  and  bark  attached  to  the  canes 
stuck  to  their  clothes.  They  were  scratched 
by  briars,  and  now  and  then  bitterly  tor- 
mented by  nettles.  The  Frenchman  seri- 
ously inquired  if  there  was  any  hope  of  their 
getting  alive  out  of  the  horrible  situation  in 
which  they  were.  Audubon  begged  him  to 
be  patient  and  take  courage,  as  deliverance 
would  eventually  come,  although  at  this 
time  he  knew  that  two  more  miles  of  this 
struggling  work  were  to  be  accomplished. 
The  Frenchman  threw  away  all  his  plants, 
emptied  his  full  pockets  of  all  their  speci- 
mens of  natural  history,  and  thus  lightened, 
commenced  his  terrible  task  afresh. 

It  was  long  after  midday  before  they 
reached  the  banks  of  the  river.  Audubon 
blew  his  horn,  and  a  boat  came  to  their 
rescue. 

The  Frenchman  remained  several  days 
longer  with  him,  adding  to  his  collections, 
but  never  again  expressing  a  desire  to  enter 
a  cane-brake.  One  evening  at  tea,  when  he 
was  expected  to  join  the  family,  he  could 
not  be  found.  His  specimens  were  found  to 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON".      77 

have  been  all  removed  from  nis  room. 
They  spent  the  night  in  searching  the  neigh- 
borhood for  him,  but  in  vain.  Some  weeks 
afterward  a  letter  was  received  from  him  in 
a  distant  place,  conveying  his  thanks  for  the 
attentions  he  had  received. 


DANIEL  BOONE. 

Among  all  the  eccentric  and  noted  charac- 
ters that  Audubon  met  during  his  wander- 
ings over  the  wild  lands  of  the  western 
region  at  this  period  of  his  life,  (about  1810,) 
there  was  no  one  more  marked  in  his  char- 
acter, nor  one  who  left  a  stronger  impres- 
sion of  himself  upon  that  portion  of  our 
country,  than  Daniel  Boone,  or,  as  he  was 
usually  called,  Colonel  Boone. 

Mr.  Audubon  once  passed  the  night  un- 
der the  same  roof  with  him.  They  had  been 
hunting  together,  and  during  the  excursion 
the  colonel's  extraordinary  skill  with  his  rifle 
had  been  fully  explained.  The  colonel  was 
one  of  the  first  settlers  in  Kentucky,  the 
leader  of  all  the  early,  hardy  emigrants  in 
their  fierce  encounters  with  the  wild  beasts 
and  the  wilder  Indians,  who,  up  to  the  en- 
trance of  the  white  men  into  the  country,  had 


78  LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS  ;   OR, 

been  the  undisputed  proprietors  of  the  soil. 
Colonel  Boone  was  a  giant  in  stature,  with  a 
broad  and  prominent  chest ;  every  limb  dis- 
played muscular  strength  in  its  perfection. 
His  countenance  exhibited  enterprise,  cour- 
age, and  perseverance.  Every  word  he  ut- 
tered bore  the  mark  of  unqualified  truth. 
Our  young  readers  will  be  gratified  to  ob- 
tain some  one  of  the  biographies  of  this  tru- 
ly great  as  well  as  eccentric  man,  and  read 
the  strange  adventures  through  which  he 


When  night  came,  at  this  meeting  between 
him  and  Audubon,  the  latter  undressed  to 
lay  down  for  the  night ;  but  Boone  merely 
removed  his  hunting  shirt,  and  arranged  a 
few  folds  of  blankets  on  the  floor,  remarking 
that  he  preferred  to  lay  there  rather  than  up- 
on the  softest  bed.  Before  they  dropped 
asleep  Boone  related  to  his  companion  the 
following  incident  from  his  life. 

He  was  hunting,  he  said,  on  the  banks  of 
the  Green  river,  at  a  time  when  the  lower 
part  of  Kentucky  was  only  inhabited  by  the 
native  possessors  ol  the  soil.  The  emigrants 
from  Virginia,  under  his  leadership,  had  been 
waging  war  with  them.  He  had  himself. 
he  said,  followed  their  tracks  through  the 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.      79 

woods  as  he  would  the  path  of  a  ravenous 
animal.  By  such  a  relentless  war  as  this  the 
red  men  were  driven  from  their  homes.  It 
is  not  surprising  that  they  often  turned  upon 
their  pursuers  with  the  ferocity  of  wild 
beasts,  and  spared  from  their  tomahawks 
neither  women  nor  children.  One  dark  night, 
Boone  went  on  to  relate,  the  Indians  out- 
witted him,  and  he  was  suddenly  made  a 
prisoner.  The  stratagem  had  been  managed 
with  great  skill  on  the  part  of  the  Indians. 
No  sooner  had  Boone  extinguished  the  fire 
of  his  camp,  and  laid  down  in  perfect  securi- 
ty, as  he  thought,  to  rest,  than  he  felt  him- 
self seized  by  a  large  number  of  hands,  the  in- 
dividuals to  whom  they  belonged  not  being 
distinguishable  in  the  darkness.  They  con- 
fined him  at  once,  so  that  he  could  not  move. 
It  was  vain  to  resist,  so  he  quietly  resigned 
himself  to  his  fate,  having  but  little  doubt  as 
to  what  that  fate  would  be.  They  removed 
him  a  few  miles  distant  from  his  camp,  with- 
out a  word  of  complaint  on  his  part,  a  course 
that  served  to  impress  the  Indians  favorably, 
as  it  showed  them  that  Boone  was  as  fearless 
of  death  as  themselves.  When  the  Indian 
carnp  was  reached,  the  sight  of  Boone,  who 
had  been  considered  their  mortal  enemy,  and 


80  LIFE   IN  THE  WOODS;   OR, 

whose  unerring  rifle  had  laid  many  of  their 
tribe  in  the  dust,  caused  inexpressible  delight. 
Boone  remained  perfectly  speechless,  simply 
meditating  some  plan  of  escape. 

The  women  fell  to  searching  his  clothing, 
and  in  his  hunting-shirt  found  a  flask  filled 
with  very  strong  whisky.  A  terrific  grin, 
he  said,  was  exhibited  on  their  murderous 
countenances  at  this  discovery,  and  Boone 
could  only  heartily  wish  it  might  accomplish 
their  intoxication,  for  now  the  first  glimmer 
of  a  hope  of  escape  dawned  upon  him.  The 
whole  troop  immediately  began  to  drink, 
passing  the  bottle  from  mouth  to  mouth, 
beating  their  chests  and  shouting  out  their 
songs.  Boone  noticed,  to  his  sorrow,  that  the 
women  drank  more  than  the  warriors,  and 
he  was  just  beginning  to  despair,  when  the 
report  of  a  gun  was  heard  in  the  distance. 
The  Indians  immediately  leaped  upon  their 
feet.  The  singing  and  drinking  closed  at 
once.  The  men  walked  off  some  distance, 
talking  with  the  squaws.  (Indian  wives.)  He 
knew  they  were  consulting  about  himself, 
and  concluded  that  the  Indians  would  go 
themselves  to  discover  the  occasion  ol  the 
firing  so  near  their  camp,  and  leave  their 
prisoner  under  the  guard  of  the  women 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.     81 

And  so  it  turned  out.  The  men  took  their 
guns  and  walked  away;  the  squaws  sat  down 
again,  and  immediately  commenced  their  at- 
tentions afresh  upon  the  whisky  flask.  With 
pleasure  did  Boone  see  them  becoming  more 
and  more  drunk,  until  finally  they  were  per- 
fectly stupefied  by  it.  They  rolled  about 
a  while,  then  began  to  snore  in  their  drunken 
sleep.  He  had  no  other  means  of  freeing 
himself  from  the  cords  that  bound  him  than 
by  rolling  over  and  over  toward  the  fire ;  he 
finally  succeeded  in  burning  them  asunder. 
He  rose  on  his  feet,  stretched  his  stiffened 
limbs,  snatched  up  his  rifle,  and  for  once  re- 
frained from  taking  the  life  of  Indians  when 
in  his  power.  It  looked,  he  said,  so  much 
like  murder  to  slaughter  those  helpless  vic- 
tims of  drunkenness  that  he  put  aside  the 
temptation  and  hastened  away. 

The  singular  portion  of  the  story  follows. 
He  determined  to  mark  the  spot,  and  going 
to  a  thrifty  young  ash-tree  he  cut  out  of  it 
three  large  chips  and  ran  off.  He  soon 
crossed  Green  river,  and  burying  himself  in 
the  intricacies  of  the  cane-brake,  he  placed 
himself  beyond  the  danger  of  pursuit.  It  had 
been  twenty  years  since  this  happene.d,  and 
five  years  since  he  had  been  in  that  portion  of 


82  LIFE   IN  THE  WOODS;   OR, 

the  country.  He  probably  never  would  have 
gone  there  again  had  he  not  been  summoned 
as  a  witness  in  a  lawsuit,  involving  that  very 
tract  of  land  where  this  adventure  occurred. 
A  gentleman  had  moved  from  Virginia,  and 
having  a  large  tract  of  land  granted  to  him, 
had  laid  claim  to  a  portion  adjoining  Green 
river,  on  one  of  the  corners  of  which  was  the 
ash-tree  on  which  Boone  had  made  his  mark. 
He  had  finished  his  survey,  beginning,  as  the 
deed  read,  at  "  an  ash-tree  marked  by  three 
distinct  notches  of  the  tomahawk  of  a  white 
man."  The  tree  had  grown  very  much,  and 
the  bark  had  long  covered  the  marks  ;  but 
the  gentleman  had,  from  some  source,  heard 
the  story  of  Boone's  adventures  with  the  In- 
dians, and  wrote  to  him,  thinking  it  possible 
that  he  might  be  able  to  aid  them  in  fixing 
upon  the  tree  referred  to  in  the  deed,  the 
marks  of  which  were  no  longer  discoverable. 
After  a  little  reflection  the  whole  scene  with 
the  Indians  came  to  his  recollection,  and  he 
thought  he  could  go  directly  to  the  spot. 
They  mounted  their  horses  (Boone  and  in- 
terested party)  and  started  for  the  Green 
River  Bottoms,  so  called.  Great  changes 
had  taken  place  in  twenty  years.  At  last  lie 
found  the  spot  where  he  crossed  the  river, 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.      83 

and  waiting  for  the  moon  to  rise,  he  started 
in  the  direction  in  which  it  seemed  to  him 
the  ash  could  be  reached.  As  he  approached 
the  place  the  scene  became  more  real  to  him. 
It  almost  seemed  to  him  that  he  must  find 
the  Indians  still  there.  They  camped  near 
the  spot  and  waited  until  day.  At  the  ris- 
ing of  the  sun  Boone  was  on  foot,  and  after 
much  thought  concluded  the  ash-tree  then 
in  sight  must  be  the  very  one  bearing  his 
marks. 

"  Well,  Colonel  Boone,"  said  the  gentle- 
man, "  if  you  think  so  I  hope  it  may  prove 
true,  but  we  must  have  some  witnesses ;  do 
you  remain  here  while  I  go  and  bring  some 
of  the  settlers  whom  I  know." 

Boone  passed  the  time  of  his  absence  in 
rambling  about  to  see  if  any  deer  still  re- 
mained in  the  vicinity.  But  what  a  change 
had  these  years  effected !  At  the  time  of  his 
Indian  adventure  he  could  not  have  walked 
in  any  direction  a  mile  without  meeting  a 
buck  or  a  bear.  There  were  thousands  of 
buffaloes  on  the  hills  of  Kentucky ;  but  as  he 
now  wandered  for  the  last  time  upon  the 
banks  of  Green  river  not  a  deer  was  to  be 
seen.  Three  gentlemen  soon  rode  up  as  wit- 
nesses. Boone  took  an  ax  from  one  of  them 
6 


84:  LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS;   OR, 

and  cut  a  few  chips  off  the  bark.  No  signs 
were  yet  to  be  seen.  So  he  cut  again  until 
he  thought  it  A^as  time  to  be  cautious,  and 
he  then  scraped  away  with  his  knife  until 
three  notches  were  as  plainly  visible  as  if 
they  had  been  cut  the  day  before.  The  gen- 
tlemen were  astonished.  Boone  made  his 
statement  of  the  facts  in  their  presence,  and 
the  party  interested,  upon  this  testimony, 
obtained  his  suit  in  court. 


THE  RUNAWAY   SLAVE. 

We  record  one  more  of  the  adventures  of 
Audubon  during  his  long  and  laborious  ex- 
cursions in  the  wilds,  because  such  events 
will  now,  thanks  to  a  divine  Providence 
overruling  the  awful  civil  war  at  this  time 
pending,  become  rare,  if  not  impossible. 
Such  scenes  have  been  the  common  inci- 
dents of  swamp  expeditions,  and  thousands 
of  such  poor,  terror-stricken  hearts  have  beat- 
en wildly  in  the  intricacies  of  dismal  and 
unhealthy  marshes.  The  event  made  a  pow- 
erful impression  upon  the  mind  of  Audu- 
bon. 

It  was  late  in  the  afternoon  of  a  sultry 
day,  when  the  atmosphere  of  a  Louisiana 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDITBON.     85 

swamp  is  laden  with  poisonous  effluvia,  and 
he  had  started  for  his  distant  lodgings,  load- 
ed with  five  or  six  wood  ibises  and  a  heavy 
gun,  which  prevented  him  from  moving  with 
much  speed.  He  reached  the  banks  of  a 
miry  bayou  (a  creek  of  water,  jutting  far 
into  the  land  from  the  river)  only  a  few 
yards  in  breadth,  but  of  which,  on  account 
of  its  muddiness,  he  could  not  ascertain  the 
depth.  Lest  the  weight  of  his  burden  might 
sink  him,  he  first  threw  to  the  opposite  bank 
his  birds  and  his  gun  ;  and  drawing  his  hunt- 
ing-knife to  defend  himself  from  the  alliga- 
tors, he  entered  the  stream  with  his  faithful 
dog  Plato.  The  water  and  mire  were  deep, 
but  after  a  short  struggle  he  reached  the 
shore.  He  had  hardly  touched  the  opposite 
bank  and  brought  himself  erect,  when  hib 
dog  rushed  to  him,  exhibiting  marks  of  ter- 
ror, and  pouring  forth  a  stifled  growl.  Sup- 
posing this  was  produced  by  the  scent  or 
eight  of  a  bear  or  wolf,  Audubon  stooped  to 
take  up  his  gun,  when  a  powerful  voice  com- 
manded him  to  "  stand  still  or  die !"  Such 
a  challenge  in  the  woods  was  entirely  unex- 
pected. He  instantly  raised  and  cocked  his 
gun,  although,  as  yet,  he  did  not  see  the 
person  whose  voice  he  had  heard.  Presently 


86  LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS;   OR, 

a  tall,  firmly-built  negro  emerged  from  the 
thick  underbrush,  and  with  a  still  louder 
voice  repeated  the  same  command.  Audu- 
bon  could  readily  have  terminated  his  life  by 
touching  the  lock  of  his  gun,  already  cocked ; 
but  noticing  that  the  gun  which  the  negro 
pointed  at  his  breast  was  a  wretched  rusty 
piece,  he  thought  he  had  nothing  to  fear. 
So  he  brought  his  gun  to  his  side,  and  tap- 
ping his  dog  quietly,  he  asked  the  man  what 
he  wanted.  The  gentleness  of  Audubon 
subdued  the  negro  and  allayed  his  fears. 

"  Master,"  said  he,  "  I  am  a  runaway.  I 
might,  perhaps,  have  shot  you  down ;  but 
God  forbid  it,  for  I  feel  just  now  as  if  I  saw 
him  ready  to  pass  his  judgment  against  me 
for  such  a  foul  deed,  and  I  ask  mercy  at 
your  hands.  For  God's  sake  do  not  kill  me, 
master !" 

Audubon  immediately  quieted  him,  and 
asked  him  why  he  had  left  his  quarters,  as 
he  must  certainly  have  fared  better  there 
than  in  this  unwholesome  swamp. 

"Master,"  said  the  slave,  "my  story  is  a 
short  but  a  sorrowful  one.  My  camp  is  close 
by,  and  as  I  know  you  cannot  reach  home 
to-night,  if  you  will  follow  me  there,  depend 
upon  my  honor  you  shall  be  safe  until  the 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.     87 

morning,  when  I  will  carry  your  birds,  if  you 
choose,  to  the  great  road." 

The  large,  intelligent  eyes  of  the  negro, 
his  calm  self-possession,  and  his  apparent 
manliness,  assured  Audubon  that  it  was  safe 
to  trust  the  honor  of  his  sable  acquaintance. 
He  tcld  him  to  go  on,  and  he  would  follow 
him.  The  negro  noticed  the  emphasis  laid 
on  these  last  words,  and  seemed  to  under- 
stand their  meaning  so  thoroughly  that  he 
at  once  said : 

"  There,  master,  take  my  butcher's  knife, 
while  I  throw  away  the  flint  and  priming 
from  my  gun !" 

Audubon  says:  "I  felt  confounded;  this 
was  too  much  for  me;  I  refused  the  knife, 
and  told  him  to  keep  his  piece  ready,  in  case 
we  might  accidentally  meet  a  cougar  or  a 
bear." 

The  man  offered  him  his  hand.  "  Master," 
said  he,  "  I  beg  your  thanks,"  and  the  negro 
gave  him  a  squeeze  that  impressed  him  both 
with  the  goodness  of  his  heart,  and  the  im- 
mense power  of  his  hand. 

After  moving  on  through  the  woods  at 
some  distance,  crossing  several  bayous,  at 
every  one  of  which  the  negro  first  threw 
over  his  knife  and  gun,  and  then  waited 


88  LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS;   OR, 

unarmed  until  Audubon  had  crossed,  they 
finally  came  to  the  borders  of  an  immense 
cane-brake,  where  Audubon  had  heretofore 
killed  several  deer.  Through  this  they  had 
to  creep,  often  on  all  fours,  as  best  they 
might.  The  negro  led  the  way,  dividing  the 
tangled  stalks,  and  always  insisting  on  aiding 
Audubon  over  when  they  reached  a  fallen 
tree.  He  was  a  perfect  Indian  in  his  knowl- 
edge of  the  woods,  for  he  kept  a  direct  course 
as  precisely  as  any  "Redskin."  Suddenly 
he  gave  a  loud  shriek,  not  unlike  that  of  an 
owl.  Audubon,  surprised,  involuntarily  raised 
his  gun. 

"  No  harm,  master,"  said  the  negro ;  "  I 
only  gave  notice  to  my  wife  and  children  that 
I  am  coming." 

A  tremulous  cry  of  the  same  character 
soon  came  back  from  the  recesses  of  the 
forest.  "The  runaway's  lips,"  says  Audu- 
bon, "  separated  with  an  expression  of  gen- 
tleness and  delight,  when  his  beautiful  set  of 
ivory  teeth  seemed  to  smile  through  the 
dusk  of  evening  that  was  thickening  around 
us.  *  Master,'  said  he,  'my  wife,  though 
black,  is  as  beautiful  to  me  as  the  president's 
wife  is  to  him ;  she  is  my  queen,  and  I  look 
on  our  young  ones  as  so  many  princes ;  but 


Audubon   at  the   Camp  of  the   Runaway 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBOJST.     91 

you  shall  see  them  all,  for  here  they  are, 
thank  God !' " 

In  the  center  of  the  cane-brake  he  found  a 
regular  camp.  A  small  fire  was  burning, 
and  on  the  coals  were  large  slices  of  venison. 
A  boy  nine  or  ten  years  old  was  blowing 
the  ashes  from  some  fine  sweet  potatoes. 
The  wife  did  not  raise  her  eyes  to  Audubon, 
and  the  three  smaller  children  retired  into  a 
corner,  as  if  affrighted  at  the  sight  of  a 
stranger.  The  negro  told  them  that  their 
visitor  was  a  friend.  Audubon's  clothes 
were  hung  to  dry,  and  his  gun  was  carefully 
cleaned ;  while  his  dog,  that  at  once  became 
the  favorite  of  the  children,  was  made  well 
contented  by  a  large  piece  of  deer's  flesh. 
The  venison  and  potatoes  looked  tempting, 
and  at  their  invitation  the  guest  drew  up 
and  made  as  hearty  a  meal. as  ever  in  his 
life.  After  supper  both  husband  and  wife 
seemed  anxious  to  tell  him  their  story,  and 
to  seek  his  aid. 

About  eighteen  months  before,  it  appeared, 
a  planter  residing  not  far  from  the  swamp, 
having  met  with  losses,  was  obliged  to  sell 
some  of  his  slaves.  The  negro,  being  well- 
known  as  a  valuable  slave,  brought  a  large 
eum,  and  his  wife,  who  was  offered  separately, 


92  LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS;   OR, 

was  bidden  off  by  another  party  for  a  great 
price.  The  children  were  bought  by  still 
other  families.  The  wife  was  carried  away 
a  hundred  miles  from  her  husband,  and  the 
children  were  distributed  in  different  places. 
The  man  pined  for  his  wife  and  children 
until  he  refrained  from  food  and  became 
sick.  On  a  stormy  night  the  poor  negro 
made  his  escape,  and  being  well  acquainted 
with  the  surrounding  country,  plunged  into 
the  recesses  of  the  cane-brake,  where  his 
camp  was  now  situated.  A  few  nights  after- 
ward he  found  the  abode  of  his  wife  and  led 
her  away  to  the  swamp,  and  from  time  to 
time  he  succeeded  in  drawing  away  from 
their  distant  homes  his  children  one  at  a 
time.  But  now  the  painful  task  was  to  pro- 
vide for  his  helpless  ones,  while  all  the  sur- 
rounding country  was  ransacked  by  the 
planters  in  search  of  the  runaways.  The 
dark  night  when  others  slept  was  his  only 
opportunity.  He  prowled  around  his  old 
master's  habitation,  and  the  servants,  among 
whom  he  had  been  a  favorite,  would  load 
him  with  supplies.  He  finally  found  a  gun, 
and  having  obtained  ammunition,  he  ventured 
during  the  day  to  hunt  around  his  camp.  It 
was  while  thus  engaged  that  he  had  fallen 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON".     93 

upon  Audubon.  As  they  finished  the  story 
both  rose  from  their  seat  with  eyes  full  of 
tears,  and  sobbed  out,  "  Good  master,  for 
God's  sake,  do  something  for  ns  and  our 
children."  Their  little  children  frere  lying 
around  asleep  in  fearless  innocence.  "  Who," 
says  Audubon,  "could  have  heard  such  a 
tale  without  emotion  ?  I  promised  them  my 
most  cordial  assistance.  They  both  sat  up 
that  night  to  watch  my  repose,  and  I  slept 
close  to  their  urchins,  as  if  on  a  bed  of  the 
softest  down." 

In  the  morning  Audubon  persuaded  them 
to  take  their  children  and  accompany  him 
to  their  first  master.  Audubon  happened  to 
be  well  acquainted  with  him.  They  were 
cordially  received  upon  the  plantation. 
The  master  repurchased  them  from  then- 
owners,  and  afterward  treated  them  with 
his  previous  kindness.  Audubon  remarks 
of  them,  "that  they  were  rendered  as  happy 
as  slaves  generally  are  in  that  country." 
How  happy  a  condition  this  can  be,  exposed 
to  all  the  uncertainties  of  business,  and  liable 
to  have  all  the  family  relations  suddenly 
and  forever  sundered,  even  among  the  kind- 
est masters,  can  be  readily  imagined. 


94  LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS;   OB, 


CHAPTER  VI. 

AUDUBON'S  STUDIES  IN  NATURAL 
HISTORY. 

THE  adventures  recorded  in  the  previous 
chapter,  with  many  others  of  the  same  de- 
scription, employed  but  a  small  portion  of 
his  time,  and  occurred  when  he  was  engaged 
in  pursuits  of  far  greatei*  interest  and  im- 
portance. These  travels  over  so  many 
weary  miles,  through  forests  and  prairie, 
among  wild  Indians,  and  often  wilder  white 
settlers,  were  not  simply  expeditions  for 
pleasure,  or  excursions  for  hunting  and  ad- 
ventures. During  all  these  years  of  wan- 
dering Auduhon  had  one  object,  and  that 
was,  to  become  thoroughly  acquainted  with 
the  appearance  and  habits  of  all  the  princi- 
pal birds  of  our  country,  and  to  draw  from 
nature  a  perfect  and  full-size  picture  of 
them. 

In  five  large  closely  printed  volumes,  enti- 
tled "  Ornithological  Biography,"  which  are 
full  of  interest  from  the  commencement  to 
the  close,  Audubon  has  given  a  description 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.     95 

of  over  four  hundred  different  species  of 
birds.  That  our  young  readers  may  have 
some  idea  of  the  pleasure  which  the  study 
of  natural  history  will  afford  them,  of  the 
truly  valuable  results  of  a'  long  life  which 
many  of  the  unwise  friends  of  Audubon 
thought  to  have  been  almost  thrown  away, 
because  it  was  not  devoted  to  the  accumula- 
tion of  money,  and  more  especially  to  direct 
their  minds  to  the  wonderful  exhibition  of 
the  power,  wisdom,  and  love  of  God  in  crea- 
tion, we  devote  one  chapter  to  a  few  of  the 
many  interesting  descriptions  contained  in 
Audubon's  volumes.  The  whole  work  will 
be  found  in  the  public  libraries ;  and  in  all 
the  bookstores  very  entertaining  volumes 
both  upon  birds  and  beasts,  gleaned  from 
the  works  of  such  laborers  in  the  field  as 
Audubon,  may  be  obtained.  Chiefly  to  in- 
spire a  taste  for  such  reading  has  this  biog- 
raphy been  undertaken. 

THE  WILD  TURKEY. 

One  of  the  largest  and  most  valuable  na- 
tive birds  of  North  America  is  the  wild 
turkey.  It  has  been  domesticated,  and  be 
come  one  of  the  most  important  of  the  barn- 


96  LIFE  IN  THE   WOODS;  OR, 

yard  fowls,  but  still  is  found  in  immense 
flocks,  in  the  wild  state,  in  the  western  and 
southern  portions  of  our  country,  where 
only  the  emigrant  has  as  yet  raised  his  cabin. 
About  the  beginning  of  October,  when 
scarcely  any  seeds  or  fruits  have  fallen  from 
the  trees,  the  turkeys  begin  to  assemble  in 
flocks,  and  gradually  to  move  toward  the 
rich  bottom  lands  of  the  Mississippi  and  its 
tributaries.  The  males,  commonly  called 
gobblers,  associate  in  parties  of  from  ten  to 
a  hundred,  and  search  for  food  apart  from 
the  females ;  while  the  latter  are  seen  ad- 
vancing singly,  each  with  its  brood  of  young, 
then  about  two  thirds  grown,  or  sometimes 
they  associate  in  parties,  containing  several 
families,  amounting  to  seventy  or  eighty 
birds.  They  very  carefully  shun  the  males, 
who  are  apt  to  destroy  their  young  broods, 
even  after  they  have  attained  some  size,  by 
repeated  blows  upon  the  head.  Old  and 
young  move  forward  on  foot,  only  taking 
wing  when  their  progress  is  stopped  by  a 
river,  or  they  are  startled  by  a  hunter's  dog. 
When  they  come  to  a  river  they  betake 
themselves  to  the  highest  eminences,  and 
there  often  remain  a  whole  day,  and  some- 
times longer,  apparently  for  purposes  of  con- 


THE  ADVENTURES  OP  AUDUBON.  97 

sultation.  During  this  time  the  males  are 
heard  gobbling,  calling,  and  making  much 
ado.  They  may  be  seen  strutting  about,  as 
if  striving  to  raise  their  courage  to  the  de- 
mands of  the  occasion.  Even  the  females 
take  upon  themselves  some  portion  of  this 
pompous  bearing,  spreading  out  their  tails, 
running  around  each  other,  purring  loudly, 
and  performing  extravagant  leaps.  At 
length,  when  the  weather  appears  settled, 
and  all  around  is  quiet,  the  whole  flock  flies 
to  the  tops  of  the  highest  trees,  when,  at  the 
signal  of  a  single  chuck  given  by  the  leader, 
it  rises  into  the  air  and  takes  flight  for  the 
opposite  shore.  The  old  and  fat  birds  easily 
get  over,  even  if  the  river  is  a  mile  in  breadth  ; 
but  the  younger  and  weaker  often  fall  into 
the  water.  Nature,  however,  has  fully  pre- 
pared them  for  this.  When  they  strike  the 
water  they  bring  their  wings  close  to  their 
body,  spread  out  their  tail  as  a  support, 
stretch  forward  their  neck,  and  striking  out 
with  their  legs,  swim  with  great  vigor  to- 
ward the  shore.  It  is  remarked,  that  after 
thus  crossing  a  large  stream,  they  ramble 
about  for  some  time  as  if  bewildered.  In 
this  state  they  easily  fall  a  prey  to  the  hunter. 
When  the  turkey  arrives  in  parts  where 


98  LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS;  OR, 

the  mast,  is  abundant,  (which  is  not  merely 
the  nut  of  the  beech,  but  a  general  name  for 
all  kinds  of  forest  fruits  and  berries,)  they 
separate  into  smaller  flocks,  composed  of 
birds  of  different  ages  and  both  sexes,  and 
commence  devouring  all  before  them.  This 
occurs  about  the  middle  of  November.  They 
become  so  gentle  after  these  long  journeys  as 
often  to  approach  the  settler's  cabin  and  as- 
sociate with  the  domestic  fowl.  They  pass 
the  remainder  of  the  fall  and  part  of  the  win- 
ter in  roaming  through  the  forests  and  feed- 
ing chiefly  upon  the  mast.  By  the  middle 
of  February  they  begin  to  unite  in  pairs 
once  more.  The  female  utters  a  call  note, 
and  all  the  gobblers  within  hearing  return 
the  sound,  rolling  note  after  note  very 
rapidly,  much  after  the  manner  of  the  do- 
mestic turkey  when  an  unexpected  noise  or 
presence  distui'bs  him.  If  the  female  be 
upon  the  ground,  all  the  males  immediately 
fly  toward  the  spot,  and  whether  the  hen  is 
in  sight  or  not,  spread  out  and  erect  their 
tail,  draw  the  head  back  on  the  shoulders, 
depress  their  wings  with  a  quivering  motion, 
strut  pompously  about,  and  emit  a  succession 
of  puffs  from  the  lungs,  stopping  now  and 
then  to  listen  and  look. 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.     99 

While  thus  occupied  the  males  often  en 
counter  each  other,  in  which  case  desperate 
battles  take  place,  often  ending  in  the  loss 
of  life,  the  weaker  falling  under  repeated 
blows  administered  upon  the  head  by  the 
stronger.  After  an  acquaintance  is  formed 
the  hen  follows  its  favorite  male,  roosting 
near  and  often  upon  the  same  tree,  until  she 
commences  to  lay,  when  she  avoids  his  com- 
pany most  of  the  time,  in  order  to  save  her 
eggs,  which  he  would  break  if  he  could  find 
them.  They  begin  to  lay  about  the  middle 
of  April,  the  hen  searching  for  a  dry  place 
in  which  to  deposit  her  eggs.  She  finds 
the  most  secluded  position  possible,  in  order 
to  avoid  the  eye  of  the  crow,  as  that  bird 
often  watches  the  turkey  when  going  to  her 
nest,  and  remains  in  the  neighborhood  until 
after  she  leaves,  that  he  may  rob  and  eat 
the  eggs  The  nest  is  a  hollow,  scooped 
out  in  the  ground  by  the  side  of  a  log,  or  in 
a  thicket  or  cane-brake  in  some  dry  place, 
and  is  lined  with  dry  leaves.  The  eggs  are 
of  a  dull  cream  color,  sprinkled  with  red 
dots ;  sometimes  they  amount  to  twenty,  al- 
though usually  they  number  from  ten  to  fif- 
teen. "When  about  to  lay  an  egg,  the  hen 
approaches  the  nest  with  the  utmost  caution, 


100          LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS;   OR, 

scarcely  ever  taking  the  same  course  twice. 
When  she  leaves  the  nest  she  covers  the 
eggs  over  carefully  with  leaves,  so  that  it 
is  very  difficult  to  find  it.  For  the  same 
reason  they  prefer  islands  in  the  rivers 
for  depositing  their  eggs  and  rearing  their 
young.  When  a  person  approaches  within 
sight  of  a  female  while  laying  or  sitting  she 
never  moves,  unless  she  knows  that  she  has 
been  discovered,  but  crouches  lower  until 
the  person  has  passed.  They  never  go  near 
a  nest  again  if  they  find  that  a  snake  or  any 
other  animal  has  been  to  it  and  sucked  any 
of  the  eggs.  Several  hens  have  been  known 
to  associate  together  for  mutual  protection, 
deposit  their  eggs  in  the  same  nest,  and  raise 
their  broods  together. 

Audubon  once  found  three  sitting  upon 
forty-two  eggs.  In  such  cases  the  common 
nest  is  always  watched  by  one  of  the  hens, 
so  that  no  crow,  raven,  nor  even  pole-cat,  dares 
approach  it.  The  mother  will  not  leave  her 
eggs  when  near  hatching  under  any  circum- 
stances while  life  remains.  She  will  even 
allow  an  inclosure  to  be  made  around  her, 
and  thus  suffer  imprisonment  rather  than 
abondon  them.  Audubon  says : 

"  I  once  witnessed  the  hatching  of  a  brood 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.  101 

of  turkeys,  which  I  watched  for  the  purpose 
of  securing  them,  together  with  the  parent. 
I  concealed  myself  on  the  ground  within  a 
very  few  feet,  and  saw  her  raise  herself  half 
the  length  of  her  legs,  look  anxiously  upon 
the  eggs,  cluck  with  a  sound  peculiar  to  the 
mother  on  such  occasions,  carefully  remove 
each  half-empty  shell,  and  with  her  bill 
caress  and  dry  the  young  birds,  that  already 
stood  tottering,  and  attempting  to  make 
their  way  out  of  the  nest.  Yes,  I  have  seen 
this,  and  have  left  mother  and  young  to  bet- 
ter care  than  mine  could  have  proved,  to  the 
care  of  their  Creator  and  mine.  I  have  seen 
them  all  emerge  from  the  shell,  and  in  a 
few  moments  after  tumble,  roll,  and  push 
each  other  forward,  with  astonishing  and  in- 
scrutable instinct." 

Before  leaving  the  nest  with  her  brood, 
the  mother  shakes  herself,  arranges  her 
feathers,  and  quite  spruces  up  for  the  occa- 
sion. She  turns  her  eyes  in  every  direction, 
stretching  out  her  neck  to  discover  if  there 
are  any  hawks  or  other  enemies  around, 
spreads  her  wings  a  little  as  she  walks,  and 
with  a  gentle  cluck  keeps  her  little  flock  close 
to  her.  They  frequently  return  the  first 
night  to  the  nest.  They  then  remove  to 


102          LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS;   OR, 

some  distance,  keeping  on  high  ground,  the 
mother  dreading  wet  weather,  which  is  ex- 
tremely dangerous  to  the  young,  when  only 
covered  with  a  soft  hairy  down.  If  once 
completely  wetted  they  seldom  recover.  To 
prevent  the  effects  of  a  chill  from  rain,  the 
mother  will  often  pluck  the  buds  of  the 
spice-wood  bush,  and  give  them  to  her 
young. 

In  about  a  fortnight  the  young  birds,  which 
had  previously  rested  upon  the  ground,  leave 
it  and  fly  to  some  large,  low  branch  of  a  tree, 
sheltering  themselves  on  either  side  of  the 
mother  under  her  widely  extended  wings. 

The  most  formidable  enemies  of  the  turkey, 
after  man,  are  the  lynx  and  the  owl.  The 
lynx  sucks  their  eggs,  and  is  extremely  ex- 
pert in  seizing  both  the  young  and  the  old. 
When  he  has  discovered  a  flock  of  turkeys, 
he  will  follow  them  at  a  distance  lor  some 
time,  until  he  discovers  the  direction  in  which 
they  are  proceeding.  He  then  makes  a  rapid 
circular  movement,  gets  in  advance  of  the 
flock,  and  lays  himself  down  in  ambush. 
When  the  birds  come  up,  he  springs  upon 
one  in  a  moment,  and  makes  off  with  him, 
to  enjoy  his  stolen  meal. 

They  manage   often  to   escape  from  the 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.  103 

large  species  of  the  owl,  which  is  an  especial 
enemy  to  them.  The  turkeys  roost  in  flocks 
on  naked  branches  of  trees.  The  owls, 
on  their  night  excursions,  discover  them,  and 
hover  around,  watching  a  favorable  oppor- 
tunity to  strike  their  prey.  Their  approach 
is  generally  discovered,  and  a  single  cluck 
arouses  the  whole  flock.  They  all  start  up 
on  their  legs,  and  watch  the  owl.  Soon  se- 
lecting a  victim,  he  glances  down  upon  it 
like  an  arrow.  But  the  turkey,  on  the  alert, 
lowers  its  head  and  spreads  its  tail  over  its 
back,  so  that  the  bill  of  the  owl  is  met  by  a 
smooth,  inclined  surface,  along  which  it  slides 
without  the  least  injury  to  the  turkey.  The 
night  robber  turns  away  discomfited  with- 
out his  expected  victim. 

Sometimes  turkeys  give  the  settlers  con- 
siderable trouble,  resorting  to  the  cornfields 
when  the  crop  just  makes  its  appearance 
above  the  soil,  and  destroying  great  quanti- 
ties of  it.  This  of  course  cannot  be  permit- 
ted, and  the  ingenuity  of  the  farmer  is  taxed 
to  deliver  himself  from  their  encroachments. 
One  who  had  thus  suffered  cut  a  long  trench 
in  a  favorable  situation,  put  a  quantity  of 
corn  in  it,  and  having  heavily  loaded  a  fa- 
mous duck  gun  of  his,  placed  it  so  that  he 


104  LIFE   IN  THE   WOODS;   OR, 

could  pull  the  trigger  by  means  of  a  string, 
in  a  position  quite  concealed  from  the  birds. 
The  turkeys  soon  discovered  the  corn  and 
rapidly  dispatched  it.  He  filled  the  trench 
again,  and  one  day  when  he  saw  it  quite 
black  with  birds  he  whistled  loudly :  every 
head  was  raised.  He  suddenly  pulled  the 
string,  the  gun  exploded,  the  living  turkeys 
took  to  their  legs  and  made  wondex-ful  time 
to  warn  the  prairie;  nine  fell  victims  to  their 
appetites.  The  turkeys  never  troubled  that 
field  again.  What  was  it  that  kept  them  away? 
When  Audubon  lived  in  Henderson  he 
tamed  a  young  male  turkey,  having  caught 
it  when  it  was  only  two  or  three  days  old. 
It  would  follow  any  person  who  called  it, 
and  became  quite  a  favorite  in  the  village. 
It  never  would  roost  with  the  tame  turkeys, 
but  always  at  night  flew  to  the  roof  of  the 
house.  When  two  years  old  it  began  to  fly 
to  the  woods,  where  it  remained  during  the 
day,  but  returned  at  night.  In  the  succeed- 
ing spring  it  changed  its  roost  to  a  high  cot- 
tonwood-tree  on  the  banks  of  the  Ohio.  One 
morning  it  flew  off  at  a  very  early  hour  to 
the  woods,  and  did  not  return  again.  Some- 
time after  Audubon  was  hunting  near  some 
email  lakes  adjoining  Green  river,  when  he 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON".   105 

saw  a  fine  large  gobbler  cross  the  path  be- 
fore him,  moving  leisurely  along.  He  or- 
dered his  dog  to  chase  it.  Juno  rushed  to- 
ward it  with  great  rapidity,  but  to  his  sur- 
prise the  txirkey  paid  no  attention  to  him. 
The  dog  was  on  the  point  of  seizing  the  bird, 
when  she  suddenly  stopped  and  hurried  to- 
ward her  master.  Audubon  hastened  forward, 
and  to  his  surprise  recognized  his  pet  turkey. 
It  had  discovered  the  dog  and  would  not  fly 
from  her,  and  the  dog  evidently  recognized 
an  old  acquaintance.  The  bird  was  carried 
home,  and  remained  until  it  was  accidentally 
shot  the  next  spring.  What  was  it  in  this 
bird  that  enabled  it  to  recognize  in  this  dog 
an  old  friend,  and  induced  it  to  quietly  await 
the  coming  of  its  former  master  ? 

How  wonderfully  has  our  common  Creator 
adapted  every  living  thing  to  its  appropriate 
place,  and  supplied  every  creature  with  the 
means  of  providing  for  its  own  wants.  This  is 
only  one  bird  of  a  thousand,  and  yet  who,  read- 
ing the  records  of  its  life  and  habits,  can  doubt 
that  the  hand  that  fashioned  it  was  divine  ? 


"  The  birds,  that  rise  on  quiv'ring  wing, 
Proclaim  their  Maker's  praise, 

And  all  the  mingling  sounds  of  spring 
To  Thee  an  anthem  raise." 


106          LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS;   OR, 


THE  BIRD  OF  WASHINGTON. 

To  one  of  the  largest  and  noblest  of  the 
eagle  species,  first  described  by  himself,  Au- 
dubon  gave  the  appropriate  name  of  "The 
Bird  of  Washington."  His  first  view  of  this 
powerful  bird  was  obtained  under  the  follow- 
ing circumstances :  He  was  prosecuting  a 
trading  voyage  on  the  Upper  Mississippi  in 
the  month  of  February,  1814.  Keen  wintry 
winds  whistled  by  them,  and  there  was  little 
in  the  chilling  aspect  around  to  awaken 
interest.  His  eye  was  chiefly  attracted  by 
the  multitudes  of  ducks  of  different  species, 
and  the  vast  flocks  of  swans  which,  from  time 
to  time,  passed  them.  His  trading  compan- 
ion was  a  Canadian  who  had  been  for  many 
years  engaged  in  the  fur  trade.  Seeing  Au- 
dubon's  curiosity  aroused  by  the  birds,  he 
seemed  anxious  to  find  new  objects  to  divert 
him.  An  eagle  flew  over  them. 

"How  fortunate,"  he  exclaimed;  "this  is 
what  I  could  have  wished.  Look,  sir !  the 
Great  Eagle,  and  the  only  orie  I  have  ever 
seen  since  I  left  the  lakes." 

Audubon  was  instantly  on  his  feet  observ- 
ing it,  and  from  its  appearance  then  conclud- 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.   107 

ed  that  it  was  a  species  he  had  never  seen 
before.  The  trader  assured  him  that  the 
birds  were  rare;  that  they  sometimes  fol- 
lowed hunters  to  feed  upon  the  remains  ot 
the  animals  they  slew,  when  the  lakes  were 
frozen  over  ;  but  when  these  were  open  they 
obtained  their  food  by  diving  into  the  water 
like  the  fish  hawk. 

From  this  time  Audubon  felt  a  strong  de 
sire  to  discover  one  of  these  birds,  and  to 
learn  more  in  reference  to  its  habits. 

A  few  years  after  this,  while  fishing  upon 
Green  river,  near  its  junction  with  the  Ohio, 
and  where  the  river  was  bordered  for  some 
distance  by  a  range  of  very  high  cliffs,  he 
observed  on  the  rocks,  which  were  at  that 
place  nearly  perpendicular,  a  quantity  of 
white  guano,  which  he  attributed  to  the 
presence  of  owls.  Mentioning  the  circum- 
stance to  a  companion  who  lived  in  the  vi- 
cinity, he  told  him  the  place  was  the  resort 
of  the  white-headed  eagle.  But  Audubon 
knew  too  well  the  habit  of  this  bird,  and  re- 
mai-ked  that  it  never  built  its  nest  in  such 
places,  but  always  in  trees.  The  man,  how- 
ever, insisted  that  he  had  seen  a  large  brown 
eagle  building  a  nest  there,  and  he  had  also 
Been  one  of  the  old  birds  diving  for  fish  some 


108          LIFE   IN  THE  WOODS;   OR, 

days  before.  He  thought  this  was  strange ; 
for  both  the  brown  and  bald  eagle  obtain 
their  food  by  robbing  the  fish  hawks  after 
they  have  risen  from  the  water  with  their 
prey  in  their  beaks.  The  man  told  Audubon 
that  he  could  soon  satisfy  himself,  as  the  old 
birds  would  soon  come  to  feed  their  young 
with  fish,  as  he  had  seen  them  before. 

Audubon  placed  himself  a  hundred  yards 
from  the  foot  of  the  cliff,  and  waited  in  im- 
patient curiosity.  In  about  two  hours  the 
old  bird  made  his  appearance,  welcomed  by 
the  loud  hissings  of  two  young  ones,  which 
crawled  to  the  extremity  of  a  hole  in  the 
cliff  to  receive  a  fine  fish.  Audubon  had 
a  perfect  view  of  the  noble  bird  as  he 
balanced  himself  on  the  edge  of  the  rock, 
his  tail  spread  and  his  wings  partly  open. 
In  a  few  moments  the  female  bird,  a  little 
larger,  joined  her  mate,  having  also  brought 
a  fish.  She  was  more  cautious  than  her 
mate;  she  glanced  her  quick  eye  around,  and 
instantly  perceived  that  her  abode  had  been 
discovered.  She  dropped  the  fish  with  a 
loud  shriek,  communicating  the  alarm  to  the 
male.  They  both  hung  over  our  heads, 
keeping  up  a  growling  cry,  as  if  attempting  to 
frighten  us  from  our  suspected  design  against 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.  109 

the  nest.  They  picked  up  the  fish  which  the 
female  had  just  dropped,  and  found  it  to  be 
a  white  perch,  weighing  five  and  a  half 
pounds.  They  made  arrangements  to  re- 
turn the  next  morning  with  guns  and  men, 
to  secure,  if  possible,  both  the  young  and 
old  birds.  A  storm  hindered  the  expedition 
until  the  third  day,  but  Avhen  they  reached 
the  rock  they  found  that  the  sagacious  birds, 
suspecting  such  an  attempt,  had  removed 
their  young  to  new  quarters. 

It  was  two  years  from  this  time,  after 
having  made  many  fruitless  excursions,  that 
he  obtained  the  great  desire  of  his  heart. 
About  a  mile  from  the  village  of  Henderson, 
while  returning  home,  he  saw  an  eagle  rise 
from  a  small  inclosure  not  a  hundred  yards 
before  him.  He  had  been  feasting  upon  the 
remains  of  some  slaughtered  hogs,  and  un- 
willing to  leave  with  his  appetite  yet  unsatis- 
fied, he  lit  upon  the  branch  of  a  tree  over- 
hanging the  road.  Audubon  carefully  pre- 
pared his  gun  and  walked  slowly  toward 
the  place.  The  eagle  awaited  his  approach, 
looking  upon  him  with  an  undaunted  eye. 
He  fired  and  the  eagle  fell.  Words  could 
hardly  express  the  exultation  of  Audubon 
over  his  prize.  He  felt  "  a  pride,"  he  says, 


110          LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS;   OR, 

"  which  they  axme  can  feel  who,  like  me, 
have  devoted  themselves  from  their  earliest 
childhood  to  such  pursuits,  and  who  have 
derived  from  them  their  first  pleasures." 

"To  those  who  may  be  curious  to  know 
my  reasons,"  he  adds,  "  for  giving  to  the 
bird  the  name  it  bears,  I  can  only  say, 
that,  as  the  new  world  gave  me  birth  and 
liberty,  the  great  man  who  insured  its  inde- 
pendence is  next  to  my  heart.  He  had  a 
nobility  of  mind  and  a  generosity  of  soul 
such  as  are  seldom  possessed.  He  was 
brave,  so  is  the  eagle;  like  it,  too,  he  was 
the  terror  of  his  foes ;  and  his  fame,  extend- 
ing from  pole  to  pole,  resembles  the  majestic 
soarings  of  the  mightiest  of  the  feathered 
tribe.  If  America  has  reason  to  be  proud 
of  her  Washington,  so  has  she  to  be  proud 
of  her  great  eagle." 

The  male  bird  weighed  fourteen  and  a 
half  pounds ;  it  was  three  feet  seven  inches 
in  length,  and  the  extent  of  its  wings  was 
ten  feet  and  two  inches. 

The  white-Jieaded  eagle  is  the  bird  best 
known  under  the  general  name  of  his  species. 

It  is  the  bird  that  is  borne  on  our  national 
standard,  "  bearing,"  Audubon  says,  little 
thinking  of  the  possibility  of  the  civil  war 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.  Ill 

which  is  now  staining  the  land  with  blood, 
"  to  distant  lands  the  remembrance  of  a  great 
people  living  in  a  state  of  peaceful  freedom. 
May  that  peaceful  freedom  last  forever !" 

This  eagle  is  noted  for  his  wonderful 
strength,  for  his  daring,  and  for  his  courage. 
lie  is  a  ferocious  bird,  and  the  terror  of 
weaker  birds  and  even  small  animals.  He 
is  the  lion  of  the  air.  Audubon  thus  pic- 
tures a  common  spectacle,  illustrating  the 
character  and  habits  of  this  powerful  bird. 
It  occurs  on  the  Mississippi,  late  in  the  fall, 
when  approaching  winter  brings  millions  of 
water-fowl  from  the  north,  seeking  a  milder 
climate  for  a  few  months.  "  The  eagle  is 
seen,  perched  in  an  erect  attitude,  on  the 
highest  summit  of  the  tallest  tree  by  the 
margin  of  the  broad  stream.  His  glistening 
but  stern  eye  looks  over  the  vast  expanse. 
He  listens  attentively  to  every  sound  that 
comes  to  his  quick  ear  from  afar,  glancing 
now  and  then  on  the  earth  beneath,  lest 
even  the  light  tread  of  the  fawn  may  pass 
unheard.  His  mate  is  perched  on  the  oppo- 
site side,  and  should  all  be  tranquil  and  si- 
lent, warns  him  by  a  cry  to  continue  patient. 
At  this  well-known  call  the  male  partly 
opens  his  bi-oad  wings,  inclines  his  body  a 


112          LIFE  IN  T£E  WOODS;   OR, 

little  downward,  and  answers  to  her  voice 
in  tones  not  unlike  the  laugh  of  a  maniac. 
The  next  moment  he  resumes  his  erect  atti- 
tude, and  again  all  around  is  silent.  Ducks 
of  many  species  are  seen  passing  with  great 
rapidity,  and  following  the  course  of  the 
current ;  but  the  eagle  heeds  them  not ;  they 
are,  at  this  time,  beneath  his  attention.  The 
next  moment,  however,  the  wild,  trumpet- 
like  sound  of  a  yet  distant  but  approaching 
swan  is  heard.  A  shriek  from  the  female 
eagle  comes  across  the  stream,  for  she  is  as 
fully  on  the  alert  as  her  mate.  The  latter 
suddenly  shakes  the  whole  of  his  body,  and 
with  a  few  touches  of  his  bill,  arranges  his 
plumage  in  an  instant.  The  snow-white 
swan  is  now  in  sight;  her  long  neck  is 
stretched  forward,  her  eye  is  on  the  watch, 
vigilant  as  that  of  her  enemy;  her  large 
wings  seem  with  difficulty  to  support  the 
weight  of  her  body,  although  they  flap  in- 
cessantly. The  eagle  has  marked  her  for  his 
prey.  As  the  swan  is  passing  the  dreaded 
pair,  the  male  bird,  in  full  preparation  for 
the  chase,  starts  from  his  perch  with  an  aw- 
ful scream,  that,  to  the  swan's  ear,  brings 
more  terror  than  the  report  of  the  large 
duck  gun  Now  is  the  moment  to  witness 


Property  of 

METHODIST  S.  S  LIBRARY. 

ATHOL,  MASS 


• 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.  115 

the  display  of  the  eagle's  powers.  He  glides 
through  the  air  like  a  falling  star,  and, 
like  a  flash  of  lightning,  comes  upon  the 
timorous  swan,  which  now,  in  agony  and 
despair,  seeks,  by  various  maneuvers,  to 
elude  the  grasp  of  his  cruel  talons.  It 
mounts,  doubles,  and  willingly  would  plunge 
into  the  stream,  were  it  not  prevented  by 
the  eagle,  which,  long  possessed  of  the 
knowledge  that  by  such  a  stratagem  the 
prey  might  escape  him,  forces  it  to  remain 
in  the  air  by  attempting  to  strike  it  with  its 
talons  from  beneath.  The  hope  of  escape  is 
soon  given  up  by  the  swan.  It  has  already 
become  much  weakened,  and  its  strength 
fails  at  the  sight  of  the  courage  and  swift- 
ness of  its  antagonist.  Its  last  gasp  is  about 
to  escape,  when  the  ferocious  eagle  strikes 
with  its  talons  the  under  side  of  the  wing, 
and  with  unresisted  power,  forces  the  bird 
to  fall  in  a  slanting  direction  upon  the  near- 
est shore."  Great  is  his  exultation  over  his 
prey.  He  presses  the  dying  swan  under  his 
powerful  feet,  driving  his  sharp  claws  into 
his  heart.  He  shrieks  with  delight  as  he 
feels  the  last  convulsions  of  his  prey.  The 
female  has  watched  every  movement  of  her 
mate.  She  now  sails  down  to  the  spot 


116          LIFE  IN   THE  WOODS;  OR, 

where  he  eagerly  awaits  her,  and  when  she 
arrives,  they  turn  the  breast  of  the  luckless 
swan  upward,  and  gorge  themselves  with 
gore. 

At  other  times,  when  the  eagles  discover 
a  wild  goose,  a  duck,  or  a  swan  sailing  along 
on  the  water,  they  accomplish  their  capture 
in  a  very  shrewd  way.  Knowing  that  these 
water-fowl  can  dive  at  their  approach,  and 
thus  escape  them,  they  ascend  into  the  air 
in  opposite  directions  over  the  river  or  lake 
on  which  they  have  observed  the  object  of 
their  pursuit.  After  both  eagles  have  reached 
a  certain  height,  one  of  them  immediately 
dashes  with  great  swiftness  at  the  bird  upon 
the  water.  But  the  latter  expecting,  and 
prepared  for  this,  dives  the  moment  before 
the  eagle  reaches  the  spot.  The  pursuer 
then  rises  into  the  air,  while  his  mate  dashes 
down  as  the  poor  victim  rises  from  the  water 
to  breathe.  Down  he  dives  again,  as  the 
eagle  just  glances  him,  and  arises  once  more ; 
but  he  hardly  raises  his  head  again  for  a 
another  breath  when  down  comes  the  other 
eagle  like  an  arrow.  This  is  kept  up  until 
the  wearied  victim,  unable  to  continue  hia 
diving,  stretches  out  its  neck  and  swims  for 
the  shore,  to  hide  among  the  rank  weeds, 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDITED^.  117 

It  is  of  no  avail ;  the  moment  it  approaches 
the  margin,  one  of  its  pursuers  darts  upon 
it  and  kills  it  in  an  instant. 

During  the  spring  and  summer  it  has  even 
a  much  less  honorable  way  of  secui'ing  its 
living.  As  soon  as  the  fish  hawk  makes  its 
appearance  from  the  South,  following  the 
lines  of  the  great  rivers,  the  eagle  offers 
himself,  an  unbidden  companion,  to  them. 
Perched  on  some  tall  summit  in  view  of  the 
water-courses,  he  watches  every  motion  of 
the  fish  hawk  while  on  the  wing.  When 
the  latter  rises  with  a  fish  in  his  grasp,  the 
eagle  rushes  upon  him,  and  snatches  his 
hard-earned  meal.  As  the  fish  hawk  rises 
from  the  water,  the  eagle,  glancing  from  his 
height,  poises  himself  over  him.  The  hawk, 
fearing  for  his  own  life,  drops  the  fish.  In 
an  instant  the  eagle,  carefully  estimating  the 
rapid  descent  of  the  fish,  closes  his  wings, 
and  with  the  swiftness  of  thought  follows  it, 
seizing  it  before  it  reaches  the  water. 

The  eagle,  however,  is  not  confined  to  such 
food,  but  greedily  devours  young  pigs,  lambs, 
fawns,  poultry,  and  putrid  carcasses  of  every 
description.  It  has  been  known  even  to  at- 
tack and  destroy  young  children. 

The  eagle  is  supposed  to  live  to  a  very 


118          LIFE   IN  THE  WOODS;   OR, 

great  age — some  persons  have  thought  to 
even  a  hundred  years.  Audubon  once  took 
a  female  bird  that  he  judged  must  have  been 
very  aged.  Its  tail  and  wing-feathers  were 
so  worn  out  and  so  rusty,  that  he  imagined 
the  bird  had  lost  its  power  of  moulting  or 
shedding  them.  The  legs  and  feet  were  cov- 
ered with  large  warts;  the  claws  and  bill 
were  much  blunted;  it  could  scarcely  fly 
more  than  a  hundred  yards  at  a  time,  and 
the  body  was  poor  and  tough.  The  eye  was 
the  only  part  which  appeared  to  have  sus- 
tained no  injury.  It  remained  sparkling  and 
full  of  animation,  and  even  after  death  re- 
tained its  luster. 

The  white-headed  eagle  is  seldom*  seen 
alone;  two  of  the  different  sexes  having  be- 
come acquainted,  continue  together  until  one 
dies  or  is  destroyed.  The  nest,  which  is  of 
great  size,  is  usually  placed  on  a  very  tall 
tree,  which  is  destitute  of  all  its  lovrer 
branches.  It  is  made  of  sticks  from  three  to 
five  feet  in  length,  large  pieces  of  turf,  rank 
weeds,  and  Spanish  moss  when  it  can  be 
found.  It  measures,  when  finished,  from 
five  to  six  feet  in  diameter,  and  so  great  is 
the  accumulation  of  materials  that  sometimes 
it  measures  the  same  in  depth ;  the  same 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON".  119 

nest  being  occupied  for  a  great  number  of 
years,  and  additions  being  constantly  made 
to  it.  It  can,  of  course,  be  seen  at  a  great 
distance.  Commonly  two  or  three  eggs  are 
laid ;  they  are  of  a  dull  white,  equally  round- 
ed at  both  ends.  The  young  birds  appear 
in  about  three  weeks.  The  attachment  of 
the  parents  to  the  young  is  very  great  when 
the  latter  are  of  a  very  small  size.  To  ascend 
to  the  nest  at  this  time  would  be  dangerous. 
As  they  grow  older,  and  are  able  to  take 
wing,  if  they  are  not  disposed  to  fly  off,  the 
old  birds  turn  them  out  of  the  nest  and 
beat  them  off.  They  are  fed  when  in  the 
nest  with  fish,  rabbits,  squirrels,  young  lambs, 
pigs,  opossums,  etc.  The  bird  is  four  years 
of  age  before  it  attains  the  full  beauty  of  its 
plumage.  It  is  universally  known  in  this 
country  as  the  bald  eagle.  This  is  founded 
on  the  erroneous  idea  that  its  head  is  bare, 
but  this  is  not  the  case ;  the  head  is  densely 
covered  with  white  feathers,  which,  contrast- 
ing with  the  dark  tints  of  the  body,  give  it 
the  bald  appearance  which  has  determined 
its  common  name.  When  the  eagle  sleeps, 
he  snores  with  a  hissing  sound  so  loudly  as  to 
be  heard  in  the  perfect  silence  of  the  night  for 
a  hundred  yards ;  yet  so  light  is  his  sleep  that 


a 


120          LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS;   Oil, 

the  cracking  of  a  stick  under  the  foot  of  a 
person  immediately  awakens  him. 

The  shriek  of  the  steam-whistle  has  driven 
them  back  from  the  Mississippi,  where  they 
formerly  gathered  in  great  numbers,  al- 
though many  linger  around  their  old  haunts. 
Audubon  expresses  his  regret  that  this  bird 
has  been  chosen  as  the  representative  of  our 
country,  agreeing  with  Dr.  Franklin,  who 
wrote :  "For  my  part,  I  wish  the  bald  eagle 
had  not  been  chosen  as  the  representative  of 
our  country.  He  is  a  bird  of  bad  moral 
character ;  he  does  not  get  his  living  honest- 
ly ;  you  may  have  seen  him  perched  on  some 
dead  tree,  where,  too  lazy  to  fish  for  himself, 
he  watches  the  labor  of  the  fishing  hawk ; 
and  when  that  diligent  bird  has  at  length 
taken  a  fish,  and  is  bearing  it  to  his  nest  for 
the  support  of  his  mate  and  young  ones,  the 
bald  eagle  pursues  him  and  takes  it  from 
him.  With  all  this  injustice  he  is  never  in 
good  case ;  but,  like  those  among  men  who 
live  by  sharping  and  robbing,  he  is  generally 
poor,  and  often  very  lousy.  Besides,  he  is 
a  rank  coward ;  the  little  king-bird,  not  big- 
ger than  a  sparrow,  attacks  him  boldly,  and 
drives  him  out  of  the  district.  He  is,  there- 
fore, by  no  means  a  proper  emblem  for  the 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  ATJDUBON.  123 

brave  and  honest  Cincinnati*  of  America, 
who  have  driven  all  the  king-birds  from  our 
country;  though  exactly  fit  for  that  order 
of  knights  which  the  French  call  Chevaliers 
tf  Industrie." 


BALTIMORE   ORIOLE. 

Audubon  found  his  lonely  voyages  up  the 
Mississippi,  and  along  the  then  lonely  banks 
of  the  Ohio,  often  beguiled  by  the  rich  mel- 
ody and  brilliant  plumage  of  the  Baltimore 
oriole.  Beautifully  and  devoutly  he  says : 
"In  solitudes  like  these  the  traveler  might 
feel  pleased  with  any  sound,  even  the  howl 
of  the  wolf,  or  the  still  more  dismal  bellow 
of  the  alligator.  Then  how  delightful  must 
it  be  to  hear  the  melody  resulting  from  thou- 
sands of  musical  voices  that  come  from  some 
neighboring  tree,  and  which  insensibly  leads 
the  mind,  with  whatever  it  may  have  previ- 
ously been  occupied,  first  to  the  contempla- 
tion of  the  wonders  of  nature,  and  then  to 
that  of  the  great  Creator  himself." 

*  Our  revolutionary  patriots ;  so  called  from  the  brave 
Roman  Cincinnatus,  who  left  his  plow  to  save  Ma 
country. 

t  Thieves  and  pickpockets. 


124          LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS;  OR, 

In  early  autumn  on  these  rivers,  at  that 
period,  never  for  days  would  the  traveler  be 
without  the  company  or  song  of  the  oriole. 
It  comes  from  Mexico,  and  perhaps  farther 
South,  and  enters  Louisiana  as  soon  as  spring 
opens  there.  It  searches  among  the  trees 
around  the  planters'  houses  for  a  suitable 
place  to  pass  the  season.  Having  made 
choice  of  a  twig  on  a  suitable  tree,  the  male 
bird  commences  his  work.  He  flies  to  the 
ground,  searching  for  the  longest  and  driest 
threads  of  moss ;  and  when  he  finds  one  fit 
for  his  purpose,  ascends  to  the  chosen  spot, 
uttering  all  the  while  a  continual  chirrup, 
significant  of  his  feeling  of  safety  and  con- 
tent. No  sooner  does  he  reach  the  appro- 
priated branch,  than  with  bill  and  claws  he 
fastens  one  end  of  the  moss  to  the  twig, 
with  as  much  ingenuity  as  a  sailor  might  do 
it.  He  then  takes  up  the  other  end,  which 
he  secures  also  to  another  twig  a  few  inches 
oif,  leaving  the  thread  floating  in  the  air  like 
a  swing,  the  curve  of  which  is  some  seven  or 
eight  inches.  The  female  comes  to  his  as 
sistance  with  another,  thread  of  moss  or  cot- 
ton, examines  the  work  of  her  mate,  and 
immediately  commences  operations  for  her- 
self, placing  her  threads  in  a  contrary  direc- 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.  125 

tion ;  making  the  whole  cross  and  recross,  so 
as  to  form  an  irregular  net- work. 

Audubon  says  of  them :  "  Their  love  in- 
creases daily,  as  they  see  the  graceful  fabric 
approaching  perfection,  until  their  conjugal 
affection  and  faith  become  as  complete  as  in 
any  species  of  birds  with  which  I  am  ac- 
quainted." 

The  nest  is  thus  woven  from  the  bottom 
to  the  top,  and  secured  so  that  no  tempest 
can  carry  it  off  without  first  breaking  the 
branch  upon  which  it  is  fastened.  If,  instead 
of  stopping  in  Louisiana,  the  birds  had  gone 
on  to  Pennsylvania  and  New  York,  as  many 
of  them  do,  they  would  then  have  lined  their 
swinging  nest  with  cotton  or  wool,  and  have 
taken  special  care  to  place  the  nest  where  the 
sun's  rays  would  fall  most  powerfully  upon 
it.  But  here  in  Louisiana,  as  if  they  knew 
that  the  heated  term  would  soon  be  upon 
them,  they  take  care  to  haye  the  nest  on  the 
north-east  side  of  the  tree,  where  the  winds 
can  have  full  play,  and  it  is  lined  throughout 
with  the  softest  moss,  but  in  such  a  way  that 
the  air  can  pass  easily  through  it.  From 
four  to  six  little  eggs  are  laid,  about  an  inch 
in  length,  pale  brown,  dotted  and  spotted. 
In  fourteen  days  the  little  charge  makes  its 


126  LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS  ;  OR, 

appearance.  A  day  or  two  before  the  young 
leave  the  nest  they  creep  in  and  out,  clinging 
to  its  side,  and  thus  strengthening  their 
limbs.  After  leaving  the  nest  they  follow 
their  parents  for  a  fortnight,  and  are  fed  by 
them.  After  this  they  take  care  of  them- 
selves, feeding  upon  berries  and  insects. 
Their  movements  on  the  branches  of  trees 
will  be  noticed  to  differ  from  all  others. 
They  often  cling  by  their  feet,  and  stretch 
out  their  neck,  body,  and  legs,  in  order  to 
obtain  an  insect  at  a  distance  from  them. 
They  glide  rapidly  along  the  smallest  twigs. 
Their  motions  are  very  elegant,  and  their 
song,  which  consists  of  from  four  to  ten 
notes,  is  loud,  full,  and  mellow,  and  extreme- 
ly agreeable  to  the  ear.  When  the  season 
is  over,  and  the  weather  becomes  somewhat 
chilly,  they  start  for  a  warmer  climate ; 
flying  high  over  the  trees  in  a  straight  line 
during  the  day,  and  alighting  at  night  for 
food  and  sleep. 

The  plumage  of  the  oriole  is  very  beauti- 
ful. The  general  color  is  a  brownish  yellow, 
tinged  with  olive  on  the  head  and  back.  It 
is  often  kept  in  cages,  feeding  on  figs,  rai- 
sins, hard-boiled  eggs,  and  insects.  In  the 
summer  it  is  found  in  every  state  in  the 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.   127 

Union  ;  but  it  becomes  partial  to  certain  dis- 
tricts, so  that  of  two  places  within  twenty 
miles  of  each  other,  while  not  one  is  seen  in 
the  one,  they  will  abound  in  the  orchards 
and  groves  of  the  other. 

MOCKING  BIRD. 

One  of  the  most  remarkable  birds  of  our 
southern  forests  is  the  mocking  bird.  He 
imitates  readily  the  song  of  every  other  bird 
of  the  grove,  and  all  the  numerous  sounds 
of  nature.  No  other  bird  in  the  world 
shares  this  wonderful  power  with  him. 
These  imitations  are  not  with  a  harsh  and 
immelodious  tone,  like  the  parrot ;  but,  with 
a  mellowness  that  is  indescribable,  and  a 
brilliancy  of  execution  exceeding  the  origin- 
al, it  pours  out  one  bird-song  after  another. 

The  mocking  bird  remains  during  the 
whole  year  in  Louisiana.  During  the  sum- 
mer months  many  visit  the  north,  as  far, 
often,  as  Massachusetts.  When  those  that 
have  taken  this  journey  come  back,  toward 
the  last  of  October,  they  are  instantly  recog- 
nized by  those  that  have  remained  at  home, 
and  are  fiercely  attacked. 

The  mocking  birds  begin  to  build  their 
nests  about  the  middle  of  April.  Audubon 


128  LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS  ;   OR, 

gives  a  very  lively  account  of  the  love-mak- 
ing between  the  male  and  female,  as  they 
introduce  themselves  to  each  other.  The 
male  flies  around  his  mate,  with  motions  as 
light  as  those  of  a  butterfly.  "  His  tail  is 
widely  expanded,  he  mounts  in  the  air  to  a 
small  distance,  describes  a  circle,  arid  again 
alighting,  approaches  his  beloved  one,  his 
eyes  gleaming  with  delight,  for  she  has  al 
ready  promised  to  be  his,  and  his  only.  His 
beautiful  wings  are  gently  raised,  he  bows 
to  his  love,  and  again  bouncing  upward, 
opens  his  bill  and  pours  forth  his  melody, 
fall  of  exultation  at  the  conquest  he  has 
made."  Having  arranged  his  domestic  re- 
lations, he  pours  forth  his  notes  with  more 
softness  and  richness  than  ever.  He  soars 
higher,  dances  through  the  air,  full  of  ani- 
mation and  delight,  imitating  all  the  notes  of 
the  various  songsters  of  the  grove,  rushing 
rapidly  from  one  to  another.  For  a  while, 
each  long  day  and  pleasant  night  are  thus 
spent ;  but  at  a  peculiar  note  of  the  female, 
he  ceases  his  song  and  attends  to  her  wishes. 
A  nest  is  now  to  be  prepared,  and  the  wis- 
dom of  both  is  required  to  fettle  this  import- 
ant question.  The  various  fruit-trees  are 
carefully  examined,  and  as  the  bird  seems  to 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.    129 

know  that  it  is  a  favorite  of  man  and  will 
not  be  harmed,  it  ordinarily  fixes  its  new 
home  quite  near  to  the  house,  perhaps  upon 
the  tree  whose  branches  shade  the  window. 
Dried  twigs,  leaves,  grasses,  cotton,  flax,  and 
other  substances,  are  picked  up,  and  carried 
to  a  forked  branch,  and  there  arranged. 
When  the  female  lays  her  first  egg,  the  male 
redoubles  his  attentions;  and  when  the 
whole  number  of  five  is  completed,  he  seems 
to  have  nothing  else  upon  his  hands  but  to 
while  away  the  hours,  as  his  mate  sets  in  the 
nest,  in  tuning  his  pipe  afresh  and  charming 
her  with  his  melody.  Every  now  and  then 
he  spies  an  insect  upon  the  ground,  the  taste 
of  which  he  thinks  will  be  relished  by  his 
companion.  Down  he  drops  upon  it,  takes 
it  in  his  bill,  beats  it  against  the  earth,  and 
flies  to  the  nest  to  feed  and  receive  the  warm 
thanks  of  his  devoted  mate.  In  a  fortnight 
the  little  birds  demand  the  care  of  both  par- 
ents. The  dew-berries  from  the  fields,  or 
the  small  fruits  of  the  garden,  mixed  with 
insects,  supply  food  for  the  hungry  little 
brood.  In  a  fortnight  more  the  young  birds 
are  flying  from  the  nest,  and  leave  their  par- 
ents, as  they  are  now  able  to  take  care  of 
themselves. 


130  LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS  ;  OR, 

The  mocking  bird  is  fond  of  the  son-shore, 
and  abounds  there,  seeking  the  low  sands 
and  low  patches  of  bushes  and  briars. 
Nothing  disturbs  the  female  more  than  to 
have  her  eggs  mo\ed.  She  notices  exactly 
how  she  leaves  them,  and  if  there  has  been 
a  change  she  utters  a  low,  mournful  note,  at 
the  sound  of  which  the  male  joins  her,  and 
they  appear  to  condole  together.  After  such 
an  occurrence,  she  can  hardly  be  induced  to 
leave  her  nest  until  the  eggs  are  hatched. 

Different  species  of  snakes  ascend  to  their 
nests,  to  suck  the  eggs,  or  to  swallow  the 
young.  On  such  attacks,  not  only  the  pair 
to  which  the  nest  belongs,  but  many  other 
mocking  birds  from  the  vicinity,  fly  to  the 
spot,  rush  upon  the  reptile,  and  in  many 
cases  are  so  fortunate  as  to  force  him  to  re- 
treat, or  even  to  deprive  him  of  life.  In  the 
winter  they  approach  the  farm-houses,  living 
about  the  gardens  and  out-buildings.  They 
are  often  seen  perched  upon  the  house-tops 
and  chimneys.  When  the  weather  is  mild, 
the  old  males  are  heard  singing  with  as 
much  spirit  as  during  the  spring  and 
summer. 

The  common  cry  or  call  of  the  mocking 
bird  is  a  very  mournful  note.  When  mi- 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.   131 

grating  it  travels  by  day,  not  taking  long 
flights,  but  moving  from  tree  to  tree  through 
the  forests  that  skirt  the  great  rivers.  In 
its  passage  it  keeps  up  this  mournful  call. 
Hawks  sometimes  attempt  an  attack  upon 
the  mocking  bird  ;  but  the  little  creature  de- 
fends itself  with  great  courage,  and  by  its  cry 
summons  all  the  birds  of  its  species  to  its  aid. 
These  all  raising  the  alarm,  rush  against  the 
common  foe  and  affright  him  from  his  purpose. 
The  birds  are  often  placed  in  cages  and 
sold  for  large  sums  of  money.  They  can  be 
easily  raised  by  the  hand  when  taken  from 
the  nest  about  ten  days  old.  They  often, 
when  thus  trained,  become  so  familiar  and 
affectionate  as  to  follow  a  person  about  the 
house.  Mr.  Audubon  knew  of  one  raised 
from  the  nest,  kept  by  a  gentleman  of 
Natchez,  which  would  fly  from  the  house 
and  pour  out  its  wild  melodies  in  the  open 
air,  and  then  return  at  the  sight  of  the 
keeper.  It  is,  altogether,  one  of  the  most 
interesting  birds  of  our  groves. 

PURPLE  MARTIN. 

One  of  the  most  familiar  acquaintances  of 
my  readers  among  the  birds  is  the  purple 


132          LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS;   OR, 

martin.  It  reaches  Massachusetts  from  its 
winter-quarters  at  the  South  about  the  twen- 
ty-fifth day  of  April,  and  they  keep  moving 
to  the  North  as  the  summer  opens.  They 
commence  their  journey  back  about  the 
twentieth  of  August.  In  coming  north  they 
assemble  in  immense  flocks.  Audubon  saw 
one  that  extended,  when  in  flight,  about  a 
mile  and  a  half  in  length  and  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  in  breadth.  They  move  at  a  slow  rate. 
Andubon  walked  easily  under  a  flock  for 
several  miles,  keeping  up  with  them,  his  eye 
constantly  upon  them,  watching  their  move- 
ments, much  to  the  surprise  of  the  persons 
who  met  him,  engaged  in  their  usual  pur- 
suits. It  was  by  such  careful  observations 
that  Audubon  made  himself  so  familiar  with 
the  habits  of  birds. 

When  the  time  comes  for  their  return 
South  they  assemble  in  parties  of  from  fifty 
to  a  hundred  and  fifty,  about  the  spires  of 
churches  in  the  cities,  or  on  the  branches  of 
large  dead  trees  about  farms.  From  these 
places  they  are  seen  constantly  dashing  off 
in  a  westerly  direction  for  several  hundred 
yards,  uttering  a  peculiar  cry,  when,  suddenly 
checking  themselves  in  their  flight,  they  sail 
back  again  to  their  starting-place.  They 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.   133 

seem  in  this  way  to  be  getting  themselves 
into  proper  training,  and  to  be  ascertaining 
the  right  direction  for  the  long  journey  be- 
fore them.  When  they  alight  after  such  an 
excursion  "they  spend  the  greater  part  of 
their  time  in  dressing  and  oiling  their 
feathers,  cleaning  their  skins,  and  clearing, 
as  it  were,  every  part  of  their  dress  and 
body  from  the  insects  which  infest  them." 
They  remain  exposed  on  their  airy  roosts  at 
night,  instead  of  resorting  to  the  comfortable 
homes  where  they  were  reared  in  the  tops 
of  outbuildings.  At  length,  on  the  dawn  of 
a  calm  morning,  they  start  with  one  accord, 
and  are  seen  moving  due  west  or  south-west, 
joining  other  parties  as  they  proceed,  until 
the  flock  becomes  as  large  as  those  that  start 
from  the  South. 

It  is  astonishing  what  a  power  of  flight 
these  little  birds  possess.  When  they  meet 
a  violent  storm  of  wind,  they  appear  to  slide 
along  the  edge  of  it,  as  if  determined  not  to 
lose  an  inch  of  what  they  have  gained.  The 
leaders  front  the  storm  without  flinching, 
plunging  through  the  blasts  of  the  tempest, 
while  the  rest  follow  close  behind,  huddled 
together  into  such  a  compact  mass  as  to 
appear  from  below  as  a  simple  black  spot  in 


134          LIFE  IN   THE  WOODS;   OR, 

the  air.  Not  a  twitter  is  then  to  be  heard 
from  them ;  but  the  instant  they  pass  beyond 
the  power  of  the  blast  they  relax  their  speed 
to  refresh  themselves,  and  set  up  one  united 
twitter,  as  if  congratulating  themselves 
upon  the  successful  issue  of  their  conflict 
with  the  storm. 

The  martin  is  very  expert  at  bathing 
and  drinking  while  on  the  wing.  When 
over  a  large  lake  or  river,  they  dart  down, 
skimming  the  surface,  and  dipping  be- 
neath the  wave  with  a  rapid  motion  of  the 
rear  part  of  the  body,  then  rising  and  shak- 
ing off  the  water  like  a  spaniel.  When 
intending  to  drink,  they  sail  close  over  the 
water,  with  both  wings  gently  raised,  form- 
ing a  sharp  angle  with  each  other.  In  this 
position  they  lower  the  head,  dipping  their 
bill  several  times  in  quick  succession,  and 
swallowing  a  little  water  each  time.  These 
little  birds  are  very  courageous  and  perse- 
vering, never  yielding  what  they  consider 
their  rights.  They  very  much  dislike  cats 
and  dogs,  and  often,  together,  make  an 
attack  upon  crows  and  hawks,  and  are  fre- 
quently seen  to  follow  and  tease  the  eagle, 
whenever  he  approaches  in  sight  of  the 
martin's  box. 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.   135 

Audubon  had  a  large  and  comfortable 
house  built  and  fixed  upon  a  pole  near  his 
residence  for  the  martins.  One  winter,  after 
the  martins  had  been  in  possession  of  their 
homestead  two  seasons,  he  put  up  several 
small  boxes  in  order  to  induce  the  bluebirds 
to  build  their  nests  in  them.  In  the  spring 
the  martins  came  on,  and  thinking  these 
smaller  apartments  more  comfortable  than 
their  own,  drove  out  the  beautiful  bluebirds, 
and  took  forcible  possession  of  them.  The 
bluebirds  were  very  reluctant  to  leave  their 
nests,  fighting  with  great  bravery  for  them, 
but  were  overpowered  by  the  heavier  blows 
of  their  enemies.  One  bluebird,  especially, 
hung  around  his  nest  and  annoyed  the  mar- 
tins as  much  as  possible,  while  he  would 
only  show  his  head  outside  of  the  box,  and 
pour  out  his  impertinent  exultations.  Au- 
dubon concluded  to  aid  the  bluebird ;  so  he 
caught  the  martin  and  clipped  his  tail  with  a 
pair  of  scissors,  hoping  that  this  mortifying 
punishment  would  induce  him  to  remove  to 
his  own  tenement.  But  no  sooner  was  he 
launched  into  the  air  with  his  abbreviated 
tail  than  back  he  rushed  to  the  box  again. 
Audubon  caught  him  again  and  clipped 
both  wings,  so  that  his  flight  was  much 


136          LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS;   OR, 

affected;  but  still  he  held  upon  his  stolen 
home,  and  it  was  only  with  his  life  that  he 
could  be  driven  away  from  it. 

The  twitter  of  the  martin,  although  not 
melodious,  is  very  pleasing.  The  bird  is  a 
universal  favorite.  Its  hurried  notes  aro 
the  earliest  sounds  of  tne  morning,  waking 
the  laborer  to  his  toils  and  cheering  him 
in  it. 

The  Indians  are  fond  of  the  bird,  putting 
up  for  it  a  calabash  (the  shell  of  a  pumpkin, 
or  like  vegetable)  on  some  projecting  twig 
near  their  cabins.  On  this  pleasant  cradle 
the  martin  makes  his  residence,  and  drives 
the  vultures  and  other  birds  of  prey  from 
the  deer-skins  and  pieces  of  venison  drying 
around  the  cabin.  And  Audubon  says : 
"The  humbled  slave  of  the  southern  states 
takes  much  pains  to  accommodate  this  favor- 
ite bird.  The  calabash  is  neatly  scooped 
out  and  attached  to  the  bending  top  of  a 
cane  near  his  hut.  It  is,  alas !  to  him  a 
mere  memento  of  the  freedom  which  he  once 
enjoyed ;  and  at  the  sound  of  the  horn  which 
calls  him  to  his  labor,  as  he  bids  farewell  to 
the  martin,  he  cannot  help  thinking  how 
happy  he  should  be  were  he  permitted  to 
gambol  and  enjoy  himself  day  after  day  with 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.   137 

as  much  liberty  as  that  bird."  Noble  senti- 
ment, when  we  consider  the  period  at  which 
it  was  written.  While  we  are  recording  it, 
it  looks  as  if  God  had  opened  the  door 
before  the  imprisoned  slave,  and,  amid  terri- 
ble scenes  of  bloodshed  and  distress  arising 
out  of  a  civil  war  in  his  behalf,  had  said  to 
the  poor  slave,  From  this  hour  thou  shalt  be 
free! 

Their  nests  are  built  about  the  twentieth 
of  April,  a  few  days  after  its  arrival  from 
the  South;  the  material  being  dry  sticks, 
willow-twigs,  grasses,  leaves  green  and  dry, 
and  whatever  rags  it  can  pick  up.  Many 
pairs  resort  to  the  same  box,  and  live  to- 
gether, with  their  little  broods,  in  perfect 
harmony.  The  eggs  are  pure  white,  and 
from  four  to  six  are  laid.  Two  broods  are 
raised  in  a  season.  The  male  bird  is  exceed- 
ingly attentive  while  the  female  is  confined 
to  the  nest,  flying  frequently  past  the  door, 
twittering  upon  the  box,  sometimes  taking 
his  turn  upon  the  nest,  and  bringing  food  for 
the  family.  The  food  consists  entirely  of 
insects,  so  that  their  services  to  the  farmer 
in  destroying  the  foes  to  his  fruits  and  veg- 
etables are  invaluable. 


138  LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS;    OR, 


RUBY-THROATED   HUMMING  BIRD. 

We  have  seen  how  carefully  Audubon 
studied  the  habits  of  the  largest  birds  that 
make  their  homes  in  our  forests ;  with  the 
same  painstaking  observation  he  turns  his  at- 
tention toward  the  smallest.  It  is  not  sur- 
prising that  the  charming  little  humming 
bird  should  awaken  a  deep  interest  in  one  so 
alive  to  every  beautiful  thing.  "  Where  is 
the  person,"  he  says,  "  who,  on  seeing  this 
lovely  little  creature  moving  on  humming 
winglets  through  the  air,  suspended  as  if  by 
magic  on  it,  flitting  from  one  flower  to  an- 
other, with  motions  as  graceful  as  they  are 
light  and  airy,  pursuing  its  course  over  an 
extensive  continent,  and  yielding  new  de- 
lights wherever  it  is  seen — where  is  the  per- 
son, I  ask,  who,  on  observing  this  glittering 
fragment  of  the  rainbow,  would  not  pause,  ad- 
mire, and  instantly  turn  his  mind  with  rever- 
ence toward  the  almighty  Creator,  the  won- 
ders of  whose  hand  we  at  every  step  discover, 
and  of  whose  sublime  conceptions  we  every- 
where observe  the  manifestations  in  his  ad- 
mirable system  of  creation  ?" 

As  soon  as  the  flowers  appear  in  the  open- 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON".   139 

ing  summer  this  bright  little  sprite  is  on  its 
tireless  wing,  "  carefully  visiting  every  open- 
ing flower-cup ;  and,  like  a  curious  florist, 
removing  from  each  the  injurious  insects  that 
otherwise  would  ere  long  cause  their  beaute- 
ous petals  to  droop  and  decay.  Poised  m 
the  air,  it  is  observed  peeping  cautiously  and 
with  sparkling  eye  into  their  innermost  re- 
cesses :  while  the  etherial  motions  of  its  pin- 
ions, so  rapid  and  so  light,  appear  to  fan  and 
cool  the  flower,  without  injuring  its  fragile 
texture,  and  produce  a  delightful  murmuring 
sound,  well  adapted  for  lulling  the  insects  to 
repose.  Then  is  the  moment  for  the  hum- 
ming bird  to  secure  them.  Its  long,  delicate 
bill  enters  the  cup  of  the  flower,  and  the  pro- 
truded double-tubed  tongue,  delicately  sensi- 
ble, and  imbued  with  a  glutinous  saliva, 
touches  each  insect  in  succession,  and  draws 
it  from  its  lurking  place,  to  be  instantly 
swallowed.  All  this  is  done  in  a  moment, 
and  the  bird,  as  it  leaves  the  flower,  sips  so 
small  a  portion  of  its  liquid  honey  that  the 
theft,  we  may  suppose,  is  looked  upon  with 
a  grateful  feeling  by  the  flower,  which  is  thus 
kindly  relieved  from  the  attacks  of  her  de- 
stroyers." 

The  little  creature  is  always,  when  seen, 


140        .  LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS  ;   OR, 

in  such  rapid  motion  that  the  wonderful 
beauty  of  its  plumage  can  hardly  be  distin- 
guished. The  brilliancy  of  its  throat  is  mar- 
velous. Sometimes  it  glows  with  a  fiery 
hue,  and  again  it  is  changed  to  the  deepest 
velvety  black.  The  upper  parts  of  its  deli- 
cate body  are  of  resplendent,  changing  green. 
It  moves  from  one  flower  to  another  like  a 
gleam  of  light,  upward,  downward,  to  the 
right,  and  to  the  left.  It  moves  north  as  fast 
and  as  far  as  the  warm  summer  weather  ad- 
mits, and  hurries  back  to  the  tropical  groves 
long  before  the  frosts  appear.  Audubon 
says,  with  great  tenderness  and  beauty,  "I 
Mash  it  were  in  my  power  at  this  moment  to 
impart  the  pleasures  which  I  have  felt  while 
watching  the  movements  and  viewing  the 
manifestations  of  feelings  displayed  by  a  sin- 
gle pair  of  these  most  favorite  little  creatures 
when  engaged  in  the  demonstration  of  their 
love  to  each  other :  how  the  male  swells  his 
plumage  and  throat,  and,  dancing  on  the 
wing,  whirls  around  the  delicate  female ;  how 
quickly  he  dives  toward  a  flower,  and  re- 
turns with  a  loaded  bill,  which  he  offers  to 
her  to  whom  alone  he  feels  desirous  of  being 
united ;  how  full  of  ecstacy  he  seems  to  be 
when  his  caresses  are  kindly  received  ;  how 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.  141 

his  little  wings  fan  her  as  they  fan  the  flowers, 
and  he  transfers  to  her  bill  the  insects  and  the 
honey  which  he  has  procured  with  a  view  to 
please  her ;  how  these  attentions  are  received 
with  apparent  satisfaction  ;  how,  soon  after, 
the  blissful  compact  is  sealed ;  how,  then, 
the  courage  and  care  of  the  male  are  re- 
doubled ;  how  he  even  dares  to  give  chase 
to  the  tyrant  flycatcher,  hurries  the  blue 
bird  and  the  martin  to  their  boxes ;  and  how, 
on  sounding  pinions,  he  joyously  returns  to 
the  side  of  his  lovely  mate.  All  these  proofs  of 
the  sincerity,  fidelity,  and  courage  with  which 
the  male  assures  his  mate  of  the  care  he  will 
take  of  her  while  sitting  on  her  nest,  may  be 
seen,  and  have  been  seen,  but  cannot  be  por- 
trayed or  described.  Could  you  cast  a  mo- 
mentary glance  on  the  nest  of  the  humming 
bird,  and  see,  as  I  have  seen,  the  newly 
hatched  pair  of  young,  little  larger  than 
bumblebees,  naked,  blind,  and  so  feeble  as 
scarcely  to  be  able  to  raise  their  little  bill  to 
receive  food  from  the  parents ;  and  could 
you  see  those  parents,  full  of  anxiety  and 
fear,  passing  and  repassing  within  a  few 
inches  of  your  face,  alighting  on  a  twig  not 
more  than  a  yard  from  your  body,  waiting 
the  result  of  your  unwelcome  visit  in  a  state 


142  LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS  ;   OR, 

of  the  utmost  despair,  you  cannot  fail  to  be 
impressed  with  the  deepest  pangs  which  pa- 
rental affection  feels  on  the  unexpected  death 
of  a  cherished  child.  Then  how  pleasing  it 
is,  on  your  leaving  the  spot,  to  see  the  re- 
turning hope  of  the  parents,  when,  after  ex- 
amining the  nest,  they  find  their  nurslings  un- 
touched !  These  are  the  scenes  best  fitted 
to  enable  us  to  partake  of  sorrow  and  joy, 
and  to  determine  every  one  who  views 
them  to  make  it  his  study  to  contribute 
to  the  happiness  of  others,  and  to  refrain 
from  wantonly  or  maliciously  giving  them 
pain." 

This  beautiful  lesson  these  little  birds 
taught  Audubon ;  happy  will  it  be  for  us  if 
we  also  learn  it. 

Audubon  could  hardly  satisfy  himself 
whether  the  humming  bird  migrated  by  day 
or  night,  but  thought  it  probable  in  the  lat- 
ter, as  they  seem  to  be  always  feeding  dur- 
ing the  day.  It  is  almost  impossible  to  follow 
their  flight  on  account  of  the  smallness  of 
their  size.  A  person  standing  in  a  garden  neai 
a  common  althea  in  bloom  will  be  surprised 
suddenly  to  hear  the  humming  of  their  wings, 
and  then  in  an  instant  to  see  the  birds  them- 
selves near  him.  In  a  moment  again  they 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.  14:3 

rise  into  the  air,  and  are  out  of  sight  and  hear- 
ing almost  instantly. 

These  little  birds  have  a  peculiarly  delicate 
nest.  Its  outside  is  formed  of  the  light  gray 
moss  found  on  branches  of  trees  and  old 
fence-rails.  These  are  glued  together  by  the 
saliva  of  the  bird.  They  then  line  it  with 
some  cottony  substance,  and  finally  secure 
the  silky  fibers  obtained  from  many  plants^ 
exceedingly  soft  and  delicate,  for  the  inner 
surface.  On  this  soft  bed  two  little  pure 
white  oval  eggs  are  laid.  In  ten  days  the 
young  birds  appear.  In  one  week  they  are 
ready  to  fly,  but  are  fed  still  another  week  by 
their  parents.  The  principal  food  of  the  hum- 
ming bird  is  the  insect  which  it  finds  in  flow- 
ers, and  the  honey  of  the  flower  itself.  They 
are  somewhat  quarrelsome,  having  frequent 
battles  in  the  air.  Should  one  be  feeding  on 
a  flower  and  another  approach  it,  they  both 
immediately  arise  into  the  air,  twittering  and 
twisting  in  a  spiral  manner  until  out  of  sight. 
After  having  fought  out  their  battle  the  vic- 
tor returns  to  the  flower. 

We  might,  with  great  pleasure  and  profit, 
multiply  these  studies  among  the  birds  by 
Audubon ;  but  our  object  has  been  simply 
to  show  how  he  passed  the  long  hours  of  sol- 


144          LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS;   OR, 

itude  when  far  from  his  home ;  how  he  oc- 
cupied the  time  that  he  snatched  away  from 
business,  to  awaken,  if  possible,  a  desire  in 
the  minds  of  our  readers  to  examine  the  large 
volumes  which  he  published,  recording  in 
full  the  results  of  a  long  life  of  unwearied 
observations,  on  land  and  water,  in  every 
portion  of  our  widely  extended  country ;  and 
finally,  to  arouse  a  personal  love  for  nature 
in  their  breasts,  impelling  them  forth  into 
God's  beautiful  world  to  study  for  them- 
selves his  marvelous  creations. 

With  so  many  interesting  works  upon 
natural  history,  it  would  not  be  a  long  work, 
certainly  not  a  weary  one,  to  become  familiar- 
ly acquainted  with  every  bird  that  visits  our 
vicinities — its  habits,  its  food,  and  its  dis- 
tinguishing songs.  The  study  is  becoming 
the  more  valuable,  as  the  birds  are  found 
to  be  the  best  friends  the  farmer  has  in  hia 
fruit  orchard  and  garden ;  and  their  re- 
treat from  our  groves  would  prove  the 
ruin  of  the  trees  by  the  various  insects 
which  now  form  in  immense  multitudes  their 
food. 

They  teach  also  such  gentle  and  beautiful 
lessons,  and  they  so  immediately  speak  of 
the  wisdom,  and  goodness,  and  providence 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.   145 

of  their  Creator,  that  no  one  can  continue  in 
such  a  study  without  feeling  his  heart  deeply 
moved  with  a  sense  of  the  divine  presence 
and  the  divine  goodness. 


140          LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS;   OHi 


CHAPTER  YH. 

AUDUBON'S  EXPERIENCE  IN  PUBLISHING. 

IN  April,  1824,  Audnbon  visited  Philadel- 
phia, bringing  some  of  his  drawings  with 
him.  He  had  scarcely  a  friend  in  the  city, 
excepting  Dr.  Mease,  who  had  visited  him 
in  his  younger  days,  and  proved  to  be  a 
friend  indeed.  The  doctor  introduced  him 
to  Charles  Lucien  Bonaparte,  who  was  him- 
self an  interested  and  successful  student  of 
natural  history,  and  had  published  four  su- 
perbly illustrated  volumes,  intended  rather  as 
a  continuation  of  the  work  of  Wilson,  whom 
he  assisted  in  his  labors.  Prince  Musignano, 
for  that  was  his  title,  was  much  pleased  with 
the  drawings  of  Audubon,  and  introduced 
him  to  the  Natural  History  Society  of  Phila- 
delphia. This  introduction  to  the  prince,  and 
the  encouragement  he  received  from  him, 
proved  the  turning-point  in  the  life  of  Audu- 
bon. He  had  sought  out  these  beautiful 
histories  of  the  birds  simply  for  the  pleasure 
it  gave  him ;  now  he  determined  to  make  a 
complete  survey  of  all  the  principal  birds  of 


THE  ADVENTUKES  OF  AUDUBON.  147 

our  forests,  to  take  full-size  drawings  of  them, 
and  become  perfectly  familiar  with  their  hab- 
its. With  the  exception  of  the  prince,  he 
found  but  little  sympathy  in  Philadelphia, 
and  started  for  New  York.  He  was  warmly 
received  here,  and  encouraged  in  his  un- 
dertaking. His  spirits,  always  sensitive  to 
neglect,  and  somewhat  depressed  by  his  ex- 
perience in  Philadelphia,  were  elevated  ;  and 
with  good  courage  he  ascended  the  Hudson 
and  sailed  across  the  lakes,  seeking  the  wild- 
est solitudes,  to  enter  upon  his  self-denying 
labors.  In  these  forests,  he  says,  "for  the 
first  time  I  communed  with  myself  as  to  the 
possible  event  of  my  visiting  Europe.  I  be- 
gan to  fancy  my  work  under  the  multiplying 
efforts  of  the  graver.  Happy  days,  and 
nights  of  pleasing  dreams !  I  read  over  the 
catalogue  of  my  collections,  and  thought  how 
it  might  be  possible  for  an  unconnected  and 
unaided  individual  like  myself  to  accomplish 
the  grand  scheme."  He  divided  his  draw- 
ings into  three  different  classes,  depending 
upon  the  size  of  the  objects  they  represented, 
and  these  formed  the  foundations  of  the  first 
three  volumes  of  his  great  work .  "  I  im- 
proved the  whole,"  he  says,  "as  much  as 
was  in  my  power;  and  as  I  daily  retired 


148          LIFE  IN"  THE  WOODS;   OR, 

farther  from  the  haunts  of  man,  determined 
to  leave  nothing  undone  which  my  labor,  my 
time,  or  my  purse  could  accomplish." 

During  the  execution  of  this  mighty  plan, 
a  misfortune  occurred  to  him  that  would 
have  discouraged  any  man  but  one  of  an 
unconquerable  will,  and  a  childlike  reliance 
upon  Providence. 

He  had  occasion  to  leave  his  home  in  Hen- 
derson, Ky.,  to  visit  Philadelphia  on  business. 
He  placed  all  his  drawings  carefully  in  a 
wooden  box,  and  gave  them  into  the  charge 
of  a  relative,  with  an  injunction  to  see  that 
no  injury  happened  to  them.  He  was  absent 
several  months,  and  when  he  returned  one 
of  his  earliest  inquiries  was  in  reference  to 
his  treasure,  as  he  called  it.  The  box  was 
brought  forth  and  opened.  "But,  reader, 
feel  for  me,"  he  says  with  affecting  simplic- 
ity. "  A  pair  of  Norway  rats  had  taken  pos- 
session of  the  whole,  and  had  reared  a  young 
family  among  the  gnawed  bits  of  paper, 
which  but  a  few  months  before  represented 
nearly  a  thousand  inhabitants  of  the  air !" 
Poor  Audubon !  the  trial  was  terrible.  None 
but  a  brave  and  trusting  nature  would  have 
rallied  under  it.  "The  burning  heat,"  h«« 
says,  "which  instantly  rushed  through  my 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.   149 

brain  was  too  great  to  be  endured  without 
affecting  the  whole  nervous  system.  I  slept 
not  for  several  nights,  and  the  days  passed 
like  days  of  oblivion."  Finally  his  strong 
nature  rallied;  he  took  his  gun,  his  note- 
book, and  his  pencils,  and  went  forth  to  the 
woods  again  as  buoyantly  as  ever.  He  loved 
the  work,  and  it  was  not  simple  toil  to  repeat 
his  labors.  A  noble  ambition  seized  him  to 
make  his  drawings  much  better  than  before. 
Within  a  period  of  three  years  he  had  filled 
his  portfolio  again,  and  began  now  seriously 
to  consider  his  plan  for  giving  the  world  the 
result  of  his  studies,  and  publishing  such  a 
work  on  the  birds  of  America,  both  as  to 
•  size  and  correctness  of  drawing,  as  had  never 
before  been  seen.  The  engravers  of  Phila- 
delphia assured  him  that  his  drawings  could 
never  be  engraved;  and  other  difficulties 
rendering  it  impossible  to  publish  them  in 
New  York,  Audubon,  not  to  be  diverted 
from  his  purpose  by  ordinary  difficulties, 
determined  to  visit  England,  and  submit 
his  pictures  to  the  skill  of  European  en- 
gravers. 

He  had  removed  his  family  to  Louisiana ; 
and  in  1826,  taking  his  portfolio,  he  sailed 
for  Great  Britain.  Being  entirely  a  stranger, 


150  LIFE   IN   THE  WOODS;   OR, 

his  heart  sank  within  him  as  he  approached 
the  English  coast.  There  Avas  not  an  indi- 
vidual in  the  country  that  he  knew,  although 
he  bore  with  him  commendatory  notes  from 
eminent  men  in  his  own  country  to  persons 
of  distinction  here.  But  how  would  he,  a 
simple  backwoodsman,  be  received!  Miu'ht 
he  not  find  individuals  here  whose  superior 
talents  would  throw  his  own  entirely  in  the 
shade!  "With  a  childlike  trust  in  the  care 
of  Providence,  he  landed  at  Liverpool.  His 
heart  nearly  failed  him  as  he  walked  alone 
the  crowded  streets,  meeting  during  the  first 
two  days  not  one  glance  of  sympathy.  He 
would  have  betaken  himself  with  his  gun  to 
the  woods  for  company,  but  there  were  none 
near.  The  presentation,  however,  of  his  first 
letter  procured  him  a  large  circle  of  invalu- 
able friends.  Gentlemen  of  wealth  and  edu- 
cation immediately  recognized  the  merits  of 
his  remarkable  sketches,  and  took  him  at 
once  by  the  hand.  At  their  suggestion  his 
pictures  were  publicly  exhibited  in  the  gal- 
leries of  the  Royal  Institution  of  that  town. 
"A  prophet  is  not  without  honor  save  in 
his  own  country."  The  attention  and  patron- 
age that  Philadelphia  refused,  Liverpool  no\v 
lavished  upon  him.  In  Manchester  the  same 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.   151 

hearty  welcome  was  repeated ;  and  in  Edin- 
burgh, Scotland,  he  was  received  by  the  first 
scientific  and  literary  characters,  in  his  own 
touching  language,  "  as  a  brother."  All  the 
principal  societies  of  the  arts  and  sciences 
enrolled  him  as  a  member.  It  was  in  this 
city  that  he  commenced  the  publication  of 
his  immense  work,  although  he  found  it  ad- 
visable afterward  to  transfer  the  work  of 
engraving  to  London. 

His  numerous  and  generous  friends  all  ad- 
vised him  to  issue  his  work  in  the  form  of  a 
large  quarto,  (the  size  of  a  large  family 
Bible,)  as  this  could  be  sold  at  a  reasonable 
price,  and  he  could  easily  secure  subscribers 
enough  to  richly  remunerate  himself  for  all 
his  years  of  toil,  and  place  his  family  in 
comfortable  circumstances.  But  money  was 
the  last  object  that  Audubon  had  in  view; 
and  even  the  advancement  of  his  family,  in  this 
respect,  weighed  but  slightly  upon  his  mind. 

He  had  nurtured,  during  h  s  solitary  hours 
in  the  wilds  of  America,  the  daring  ambition 
of  publishing  a  work  such  as  the  world 
never  saw  before.  He  had  great  confidence 
that  he  should  be  carried  through  the  mighty 
undertaking. 

He  finally  determined  to  issue  it  upon  the 


152          LIFE  IN  THE   WOODS;   OR, 

largest  elephant  folio,  enabling  him  to  de- 
lineate the  largest  birds,  such  as  the  bald- 
headed  eagle,  of  the  full  size  of  life.  This 
made  it  necessary  to  ask  a  very  large  price 
for  the  work.  A  thousand  dollars  was  the 
price  which  he  placed  upon  the  four  mag- 
nificent volumes,  a  sum  which  only  rich  in- 
stitutions and  wealthy  individuals  could 
afford  to  bestow  upon  such  an  object.  "  The 
extreme  beauty,  however,  of  this  splendid 
work  extorted  the  applause  of  the  wealthy 
and  eminent  in  station,"  and  some  one 
hundred  and  seventy  subscribers,  during  the 
ten  years  before  its  publication  was  com- 
pleted, were  obtained  in  England,  France, 
and  America.  It  is  said  that  this  large  sura 
did  not  met  the  expense  of  the  work,  but 
that  he  exhausted  in  addition  the  remains  of 
his  own  small  fortune. 

It  was  not  merely  that  the  birds  were  of 
the  size  of  life,  and  admirably  engraved  and 
colored,  that  gave  this  work  its  peculiar  in- 
terest and  value,  but  they  are  represented  in 
all  their  characteristic  and  graceful  attitudes ; 
you  seem  not  merely  to  see  a  picture,  but 
the  birds  themselves.  Both  sexes  and  dif- 
ferent ages,  the  very  trees,  shrubs,  and 
grasses  where  they  stood  when  drawn  from 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.   153 

nature,  their  nests  and  eggs,  all  are  repre- 
sented so  vividly  that  you  almost  expect  to 
hear  their  song  and  see  them  spread  their 
wings  for  flight. 

"Those  who  have  turned  over  the  leaves 
of  Audubon's  large  book,"  says  one,  in  a 
short  sketch  of  his  life,  "  or  better  still,  who 
remember  to  have  seen  the  collected  exhi- 
bition he  once  made  in  the  Lyceum  of  this 
city,  (New  York,)  will  recall  with  grateful 
feeling  the  advantages  of  his  method.  They 
will  remember  how  that  vast  and  brilliant 
collection  made  it  appear  to  the  spectator 
as  if  he  had  been  admitted  at  once  to  all 
sylvan  secrets,  or  at  least,  that  the  gorgeous 
infinity  of  the  bird-world  had  been  revealed 
to  him  in  some  happy  moment  of  nature's 
confidence.  All  the  gay  denizens  of  the  air 
were  there,  some  alone  on  swaying  twigs 
of  the  birch  or  maple,  or  on  bending  ferns 
and  spires  of  grass;  others  in  pairs,  tenderly 
feeding  their  young  with  gaudy  or  green  in- 
sects, or  in  groups  pursuing  their  prey  or 
defending  themselves  from  attack;  while 
others,  again,  clove  the  thin  air  of  the  hills,  or 
flitted  darkly  through  secluded  brakes.  All 
were  alive,  all  graceful,  all  joyous."* 
*  "  Hornets  of  American  Authors." 


154:          LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS;   OR, 

During  the  publication  of  his  first  volume 
he  visited  France,  and  was  introduced  to  the 
first  scholars  and  foremost  men  of  the  learned 
circles,  of  Paris.  He  was  warmly  received 
by  the  great  naturalist,  Baron  Cuvier,  under 
whose  hospitable  roof  he  spent  many  even- 
ings in  the  society  of  the  learned  from  all 
countries.  He  formed  the  acquaintance  of 
Louis  Philippe,  then  Duke  of  Orleans,  and 
afterward  king  of  the  French,  through  whose 
influence  he  obtained  many  patrons  of  his 
work.  Baron  Cuvier  paid  his  undertaking 
the  high  commendation  of  saying  "that  it 
was  the  most  magnificent  monument  that 
art  had  ever  raised  to  nature." 

He  had  previously  visited  London.  After 
leaving  Edinburgh,  on  his  way  to  this  city, 
in  order  to  introduce  himself  and  his  enter- 
prise to  the  public,  he  had  exhibited  his 
pictures,  with  some  of  the  engravings,  in 
several  large  towns.  "I  cannot  say,"  he 
remarks,  "  that  the  employment  was  a  pleas- 
ant one  to  me,  but  it  was  a  means  of  ac- 
quiring fame,  of  which  I  was  desirous  of 
obtaining  a  portion ;  and  knowing  that, 
should  I  be  successful,  it  would  greatly  in- 
fjrease  the  happiness  of  my  wife  and  chil- 
dren, I  waged  war  against  my  feelings,  and 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF   AUDUBON.   155 

welcomed  all  who,  from  love  of  science, 
from  taste,  or  from  geneiosity,  manifested 
an  interest  in  the  American  woodsman." 

His  fervent,  simple  piety  seems  to  be  an 
abiding  and  comforting  guest  in  his  heart. 
"When  he  reached  Liverpool  again  in  his 
journey,  he  says :  "  I  felt  my  heart  expand 
within  me,  and  I  poured  forth  my  thanks  to 
my  Maker  for  the  many  favors  which  I  had 
in  so  short  a  period  received." 

With  mingled  emotions  of  hope  and  fear, 
he  trode  the  streets  of  London  for  the  first 
time.  His  letters  of  introduction  soon 
brought  around  him  the  best  and  highest 
society  of  the  metropolis,  and  opened  before 
him  the  richest  opportunities  for  the  im- 
provement of  his  mind,  and  for  the  enlarge- 
ment of  his  list  of  subscribers  for  his  draw- 
ings. Thus  wonderfully  had  a  good  Provi- 
dence opened  his  way  before  him,  and  his 
highest  desires,  nourished  in  the  forests  of 
America,  were  fully  realized. 

His  first  volume  of  engravings  was  not 
ready  for  delivery  until  the  close  of  1830. 

In  April,  1829,  he  sailed  again  for  Amer- 
ica, to  perfect  the  drawings  for  his  coming 
volumes,  and  to  prepare  the  descriptive 
work,  entitled  "  Ornithological  Biography," 


156          LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS;   OR, 

which  accompanied  each  volume  of  engrav- 
ings. 

"With  what  delight,"  he  says,  "did  I 
mark  the  first  wandering  American  bird 
that  hovered  over  the  waters,  and  how  joy- 
ous were  my  feelings  when  I  saw  a  pilot  on 
our  deck.  Before  visiting  his  family,  from 
whom  he  had  been  long  separated,  such 
was .  his  self-denial  that  he  scoured  the 
woods  of  the  middle  states  first,  and  reached 
them  in  Lousiana  in  the  end  of  Novem- 
ber." 

Accompanied  by  his  wife,  he  now  made 
arrangements  to  return  to  England,  where 
he  arrived  in  the  spring  of  1830.  Upon  his 
reaching  London  he  received  a  diploma,  cer- 
tifying his  election  as  a  member  of  the  Royal 
Society  of  Arts  and  Sciences. 

"  Such  an  honor,"  he  says",  "  conferred  on 
an  American  woodsman,  could  not  but  be 
highly  gratifying  to  him.  I  took  my  seat  in 
the  hall,  and  had  the  pleasure  of  pressing 
the  hand  of  the  learned  president  with  a 
warm  feeling  of  esteem." 

His  first  volume  of  engravings,  and  of 
biographies,  as  he  styled  them,  was  now  in 
the  hands  of  his  subscribers,  and  his  artist 
was  busily  at  work  upon  the  second.  Leav- 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.  157 

ing  Ms  family  with  the  warm  friends  he  had 
made  in  England,  he  left  on  the  first  of 
August,  1831,  for  another  and  very  extens- 
ive tour  over  his  native  land,  in  order  to 
enrich  his  collection,  and  become  more 
familiar  by  personal  observation,  both  in 
their  winter  and  summer  haunts,  with  the 
habits  of  the  birds  whose  lives  and  adventures 
he  was  writing,  and  whose  portraits  from 
nature  he  was  gratuitously  taking.  Few 
men  have  exhibited  such  noble  perseverance 
against  difficulties  and  discouragements.  It 
was  ten  years  from  the  time  of  the  appear- 
ance of  his  first  illustrations  before  his  third 
volume  was  given  to  the  public.  He  calcu- 
lated himself  that  it  would  take  sixteen 
years  to  finish  the  work.  Not  one  of  his 
friends  seemed  to  have  the  least  hope  of  his 
final  success,  and  some  advised  him  to  aban- 
don his  plan,  sell  his  drawings,  and  return  to 
his  country.  When  he  delivered  his  first 
drawings  to  the  engraver  he  had  not  a 
single  subscriber.  He  listened  with  atten- 
tion to  all  that  his  friends  urged  in  reference 
to  the  difficulties  before  him,  but  never  for 
a  moment  seriously  thought  of  abandoning 
the  cherished  object  of  his  hopes. 
"  My  heart  was  nerved,"  he  says,  "  and 


158          LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS;  OR, 

my  reliance  on  that  Power  on  whom  all 
must  depend,  brought  bright  anticipations 
of  success."  About  the  time  his  second  vol- 
ume was  completed  (in  1834)  a  nobleman 
called  upon  him  with  his  family,  and  re- 
quested him  to  show  them  some  of  his  orig- 
inal drawings.  In  the  course  of  conversa- 
tion, Audubon  was  asked  how  long  it  would 
be  before  the  work  was  finished.  When  he 
answered  "in  eight  years,"  the  nobleman 
shrugged  up  his  shoulders,  and  sighing, 
said,  "I  may  not  see  it  finished,  but  my 
children  will,  and  you  may  please  to  add 
my  name  to  your  list  of  subscribers."  The 
young  people  exhibited  an  expression  of 
mingled  joy  and  sorrow,  and  Audubon 
sought  to  dispel  the  cloud  that  appeared  to 
hang  over  the  father's  mind.  His  solemnity 
of  manner  greatly  impressed  our  woodsman, 
.and  for  several  days  his  words  were  in  his 
mind. 

"I  often  thought,"  he  says,  "that  I  might 
not  see  the  work  completed;  but  at  length 
J  exclaimed,  '  my  sons  may.' " 

When  his  third  volume  was  completed, 
in  allusion  to  this  he  wrote : 

"My  trust  in  Providence  is  augmented, 
and  I  cannot  but  hope  that  myself  and  my 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.  159 

family  together  may  be  permitted  to  see  the 
completion  of  my  Labors." 

However  long  the  task  to  which  he  had 
set  himself,  Audubon  enters  upon  his  work, 
at  the  commencement  of  each  volume,  with, 
the  same  unquenched  enthusiasm  and  the 
same  devout  piety.  In  commencing  the 
"  Biographies  "  of  the  birds  engraved  in  his 
second  volume,  he  says : 

"  Leaving  to  others  the  task  of  repeating 
the  mass  of  fabulous  stories  accumulated 
through  ages  about  the  different  species  of 
birds,  I  now  resume  my  attempts  to  arrange 
the  materials  which  I  have  obtained  during 
years  of  laborious  but  gratifying  observation 
of  the  manners  of  the  feathered  inhabitants 
of  our  American  woods  and  plains.  I  shall 
confine  myself  to  particulars  which  I  have 
been  able  to  gather  in  the  course  of  a  life 
spent  in  studying  the  birds  of  my  native 
land,  where  I  have  had  abundant  opportu- 
nities of  contemplating  their  manners,  and  of 
admiring  the  manifestations  of  the  glorious 
perfections  of  their  omnipotent  Creator." 

He  seemed  distinctly  to  feel  that  God 
had  called  him  to  this  work  of  revealing 
glories  in  his  beloved  native  land  "  which 
had  been  hidden  since  the  creation,  or  seen 


160          LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS;  OR, 

only  by  the  naked  Indian."  "Let  me  re- 
sume," he  says,  "my  descriptions,  and  pro- 
ceed toward  the  completion  of  a  task  which, 
with  reverence  would  I  say  it,  seems  to 
have  been  imposed  upon  me  by  Him  who 
called  me  into  existence." 


THE   ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.   161 


CHAPTEE  YIII. 

FROM  FLORIDA  TO  LABRADOR. 

IN  August  of  1831,  leaving  his  family 
with  friends  in  England,  he  returned  to  his 
own  country  for  a  more  thorough  explora- 
tion of  its  forests  and  shores,  both  north  and 
south.  He  secured  the  assistance  of  two  ex- 
pert naturalists ;  and  having  now  acquired  a 
national  reputation  by  the  first  volume  of  the 
superb  work  upon  which  he  was  engaged, 
he  readily  obtained  letters  of  protection  and 
assistance  from  President  Jackson  and  the 
heads  of  government  at  Washington.  So 
warmly  was  he  received  and  encouraged  by 
the  president,  that  he  devoutly  prays :  "  May 
He  who  gave  me  being,  and  inspired  me 
with  a  desire  to  study  his  wondrous  works, 
grant  me  the  means  of  proving  to  my  coun- 
try the  devotedness  with  which  I  strive  to 
render  myself  not  unworthy  of  her." 

He  started  with  his  companions  south- 
ward, and  at  Charleston  formed  one  of  his 
most  valuable  and  lasting  acquaintances ; 
securing  at  once  the  warm  affection  and 


162          LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS;   OR, 

hearty  co-operation  of  Rev.  John  Buchanan, 
fl  cultivated  scholar  in  every  department  of 
science,  but  particularly  familiar  with  zoolo- 
gy and  botany.  His  introduction  to  Mr. 
Buchanan  was  characteristic.  In  order  to 
lose  no  time,  by  the  first  glimpse  of  day,  on 
the  morning  after  their  arrival  in  Charleston, 
they  started  on  an  expedition  through  the 
adjoining  fields  and  woods.  They  returned 
home  loaded  with  spoils  and  covered  with 
mud,  attracting  much  attention  by  their  sin- 
gular appearance.  As  they  reached  their 
boarding-house,  they  noticed  a  gentleman  on 
horseback  near  the  door. 

"  Are  you  Audubon  ?"  he  said,  as  the 
woodsman  and  his  assistants  approached. 
Upon  being  answered  in  the  affirmative,  he 
leaped  from  his  saddle  and  shook  Audubon 
cordially  by  the  hand.  He  insisted  upon  his 
removing,  with  his  companions,  at  once  to  his 
house.  Suitable  apartments  were  assigned 
to  them ;  servants,  carriages,  horses,  and 
dogs  were  placed  at  their  command ;  friends 
were  pointed  out  to  them,  who  accompan:ed 
them  to  the  most  interesting  places  for  pros- 
ecuting his  work  among  the  birds.  A  large 
number  of  peculiarly  interesting  land  and 
water-birds  were  added  to  his  collections. 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF   AUDUBON.    163 

Through  his  letters  from  the  government  he 
was  received  on  board  the  revenue  cutter 
Marion,  and  passed  the  winter  on  the  coast 
and  among  the  Keys  of  Florida.  He  had 
proposed  at  first  to  draw  and  describe  only 
land-birds,  but,  in  consequence  of  numerous 
requests  from  the  patrons  of  the  work,  he 
was  induced  to  extend  his  inquiries  to  the 
coasts  as  well  as  among  the  forests. 

The  difficulties  in  studying  the  habits  of 
water-birds  are  very  great.  If  one  has 
proper  enthusiasm  he  can  hardly  fail  of  ob- 
taining any  bird  he  wishes  upon  the  land,  as 
they  simply  flit  from  bush  to  bush,  and  sel- 
dom fly  beyond  your  vision.  But  the  water- 
bird  sweeps  afar  over  the  wide  ocean,  hovers 
above  the  surges,  or  betakes  itself  for  refuge 
to  the  inaccessible  rocks  on  the  shore.  "  On 
the  smooth  sea-beach  you  can  see  the  active 
sand-piper ;  on  the  rugged  promontory  the 
dusky  cormorant ;  under  the  dark  shade  of 
the  cypress  the  ibis  and  heron ;  above  you, 
in  the  still  air,  floats  the  pelican  or  the  swan  ; 
while  far  over  the  angry  billows  scour  the 
fulmar  and  the  frigate  bird.  If  you  endeav- 
or to  approach  these  birds  in  their  haunts, 
they  betake  themselves  to  flight,  and  speed  to 
places  where  they  are  secure  from  intrusion." 


164:          LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS;   OR, 

Audubon  says,  however,  that  with  all 
these  difficulties  he  seldom  experienced 
greater  pleasure  than  when,  on  the  Florida 
Keys,  under  a  burning  sun,  after  pushing  his 
boat  for  miles  over  a  soapy  flat,  wearing  out 
a  long  day,  tormented  by  insects,  in  order 
to  procure  a  heron  new  to  him,  he  finally 
succeeded  in  his  efforts. 

Audubon's  enthusiasm  was  powerfully 
aroused  by  the  new  world  upon  which  he 
was  entering.  The  goi-geous  flowers  of 
Florida,  the  singular  and  beautiful  plants, 
the  luxuriant  trees,  and  the  balmy  air  caused, 
he  says,  "his  heart  to  swell  with  uncon- 
trollable delight." 

The  birds  which  he  saw  were  almost  all 
new  to  him,  and  their  lovely  forms  seemed 
to  be  arrayed  in  more  brilliant  apparel  than 
he  had  ever  before  observed.  As  they  gam- 
boled among  the  bushes,  or  glided  over  the 
green  waters,  he  longed  for  a  more  intimate 
acquaintance  with  them. 

Some  of  the  most  interesting  pages  of  Au- 
dubon's volumes  contain  the  descriptions  of 
these  birds :  the  heron,  the  cormorant,  the 
pelican,  the  ibis,  the  curlew,  the  tern,  the 
petrel,  the  gull  in  all  their  varieties,  and 
many  others.  Of  the  cormorant  family  the 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON".   165 

double-crested  is  the  most  noted.  It  resorts 
every  spring,  to  lay  its  eggs  and  raise  its 
young,  to  the  bleak  crags  on  the  coast  of 
Labrador,  after  passing  its  winter  in  lower 
latitudes.  In  long  lines,  sometimes  forming 
angles,  it  hovers  close  over  the  waters  in  its 
flight.  Occasionally  it  sails  along,  in  a  beau- 
tiful manner,  at  a  considerable  height  above 
the  surface.  In  order  to  rise  above  the 
water,  into  which  it  sinks  so  as  to  be  nearly 
covered  when  swimming,  it  runs,  beating 
the  waves  as  it  goes  for  many  yards,  as  if 
seeking  to  obtain  headway  before  it  mounts 
on  the  wing.  It  is  fond  of  sunning  itself 
with  extended  wings ;  and  at  these  times 
its  glossy  and  beautiful  plumage  is  seen  to 
great  advantage. 

,  The  Florida  cormorant  constantly  resides 
near  this  southern  peninsula.  It  seldom 
ventures  out  far  to  sea,  and  is  rarely  found 
a  great  distance  inland  from  the  shore,  but 
follows  the  windings  of  the  coast,  and  seeks 
the  quiou  inlets  and  bays.  This  is  the  only 
one  of  its  kind  that  alights  upon  trees.  It 
forms  its  nest  in  the  groves  of  the  dark  man- 
grove. When  it  migrates,  its  flight  is  more 
rapid  than  otner  species  of  the  same  bird, 
and  instead  -^  sailing  along,  it  is  constantly 


166  LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS;   OR, 

propelling  itself  by  flapping  its  wings.  In 
cloudy  weather  these  birds  soar  in  wide  cir- 
cles high  in  the  air,  frequently  uttering  a 
note  not  unlike  that  of  the  raven.  Should 
the  atmosphere  suddenly  become  cold,  they 
gather  into  groups  of  fifty  or  a  hundred,  as 
if  calling  a  council ;  when,  arranging  them- 
selves in  an  angle,  with  double  lines,  as  if  in 
marching  order,  they  fly  swiftly  toward  the 
south.  In  fair  weather  they  betake  them- 
selves in  flocks  to  some  rocky  island,  or  to 
some  cluster  of  trees  upon  the  shore,  and 
spreading  their  wings,  bask  for  hours  in  the 
sunshine.  Their  food  consists  principally  of 
fishes,  for  which  they  dive  with  great  ex- 
pertness. 

On  these  southern  shores  is  found  the 
home  of  the  great  blue  heron,  on  the  mar- 
gins of  streams  and  around  inland  pools. 
Here  he  stands  with  his  graceful  neck  ex- 
tended and  his  bright  eye  fixed  upon  the 
water.  The  moment  the  unfortunate  fish 
passes  in  his  swift  course,  the  bill  of  the 
heron  divides  the  waters  like  a  flash  of  light- 
ning, and  the  wriggling  victim  tells  of  his 
certain  aim.  He  is  very  suspicious ;  the  mo- 
ment he  sees  a  person  approaching  he  spreads 
his  wide  wings  and  soars  aloft.  They  are 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.  167 

very  selfish  birds,  always  alone  except  in  the 
breeding  season.  Each  one  chooses  his  feed- 
ing ground,  and  fights  away  every  intruder. 
Their  enormous  appetites  make  them  dread 
a  division  of  their  spoils.  They  are,  how- 
ever, very  attentive  to  each  other  when  the 
nests  are  occupied  with  eggs  and  with  their 
young.  It  is  at  this  time  that  their  plumage 
is  in  perfection.  They  seem  to  show  much 
anxiety  to  appear  well  to  each  other.  Their 
nests  are  found  often  on  the  tops  of  tall  cy- 
press trees,  but  sometimes  near  and  even  on 
the  ground.  They  take  turns  in  sitting  upon 
the  eggs,  and  feed  each  other  at  such  times. 
Their  food  consists  of  fish,  frogs,  and  small 
birds.  The  heron  sits  so  gracefully  upon  the 
water  that  Audubon  styles  it  the  "lady  of 
the  waters."  With  a  graceful  motion,  and  a 
light  and  measured  tread,  it  trips  along  the 
beaches  and  over  the  barrens  without  leav- 
ing a  trace  in  the  sand ;  showing  to  perfec- 
tion the  glowing  tints  of  its  hanging  crest, 
and  the  beautifully  blended  plumage  of  its 
back  and  wings  and  graceful  tail.  Light, 
irregular,  and  swift  in  its  flight,  it  moves 
.along  with  its  companions,  in  an  undulating 
manner,  in  long  lines  widely  separated. 
The  Gulf  coast  is  the  home  of  the  pelicans. 


168  LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS;  OR, 

Here  is  the  monstrous  brown  pelican,  hover- 
ing over  the  waters,  diving  for  his  prey,  or 
slumbering  amid  the  branches  of  the  man- 
grove. Although  very  heavy,  they  possess 
great  powers  of  flight ;  being  able  not  only  to 
remain  many  hours  on  the  wing,  but  to  rise 
very  high  in  the  air,  and  to  perform  the 
most  graceful  evolutions.  In  pleasant  weath- 
er great  flocks  of  them  gather  together,  as  if 
for  social  enjoyment.  They  rise  in  the  air 
together  to  the  height  of  about  a  mile,  and 
course  in  circles  about  each  other ;  then 
suddenly,  and  with  wonderful  velocity,  they 
dart  downward  and  settle  upon  the  waters, 
where  they  ride  like  a  dusky  fleet  among 
the  billows.  When  the  tide  goes  down,  they 
retire  to  the  shore  and  rest  upon  the  sand. 
They  draw  their  heads  between  their  shoul- 
ders, raise  one  of  their  feet,  place  their  bills 
upon  their  backs,  and  thus  take  their  naps. 
Immediately  on  the  return  of  the  tide,  of 
which  they  have  an  unerring  instinct,  they 
all  start  up,  spread  their  great  wings,  and 
soar  in  search  of  their  prey.  By  watching 
their  movements  a  very  safe  opinion  may  be 
formed  of  the  coming  weather.  If  they  are 
seen  fishing  in  retired  places,  it  is  a  sure 
sign  of  a  coming  storm.  If,  on  the  contrary, 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.  169 

the}'  venture  far  out  to  sea,  it  is  a  certain 
indication  of  fair  weather. 

Another  species  of  this  bird  is  called  the 
frigate  pelican.  These  powerful  birds  are 
very  much  like  vultures  in  their  habits. 
They  are  rapacious,  ferocious,  and  slothful. 
They  are  great  thieves,  as  indolent  persons 
are  apt  to  be.  They  rob  each  other's  nests, 
in  order  to  construct  their  own  with  as  little 
trouble  as  possible.  They  devour  the  young 
of  all  weaker  birds,  as  well  as  prey  upon  the 
fish.  They  are  very  skillful  in  obtaining 
materials  for  their  nests,  so  that  they  have 
no  excuse  for  their  thievish  propensities  ;  as 
they  fly  swiftly  along  they  snap  off  the  twigs 
from  the  trees  with  their  powerful  bills.  His 
flight  being  swifter  than  the  gull,  or  tern,  or 
hawk,  the  frigate  pelican  often  darts  down 
from  on  high  and  snatches  the  prey  from 
their  mouths,  which  they  have  just  seized 
from  the  sea.  But  now  he  must  contend 
with  his  own  companions.  Several  of  them, 
observing  his  good  fortune,  rush  toward  him 
and  surround  him.  Dashing  at  him,  they 
writhe  around  him  in  wide  circles,  each  one 
striking  him  with  his  wings  as  he  reaches 
him,  and  seeking  to  tear  the  fish  from  his 

bill.     This  bird  commences  his   search   for 
11 


170          LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS;   OR, 

food  very  early  in  the  morning,  before  the 
sweet  singers  of  the  groves  have  begun  their 
melodies.  He  steals  out  in  the  dusky  light 
from  his  roosting  place  and  sails  over  the 
deep,  eagerly  watching  for  the  unfortunate 
fish  that  may  approach  the  surface,  when 
he  dashes  down  like  an  arrow  upon  him. 
When  the  hurricane  sends  forward  its  misty 
clouds,  the  thunders  begin  to  roll,  the  light- 
nings to  flash,  and  the  billows  angrily  toss 
themselves  on  high,  then  this  bird  floats  out, 
gallantly  awaiting  the  approach  of  the  tem- 
pest. If  he  finds  himself  unable  to  force  his 
passage  against  its  fury,  he  keeps  his  ground 
by  balancing  himself  in  the  air. 

For  three  successive  springs,  this  species 
increases  in  the  beauty  of  its  plumage ;  the 
green,  purple,  and  bronze  tints  acquiring 
greater  distinctions. 

The  white  pelican,  when  its  snowy  plu- 
mage is  unsoiled,  is  extremely  beautiful,  and 
differs  only  in  its  color  from  the  others  of 
the  same  species. 

Among  the  most  common  and  striking  of 
the  Gulf  birds  is  the  ibis,  distinguished  by 
its  colors  and  habits  into  the  scarlet,  the 
white,  the  brown,  the  glossy,  and  the  wood 
ibis.  The  latter  frequents  the  banks  of  for- 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.    171 

ent  pools,  swamps,  and  the  pine  barrens.  In 
desolate  recesses,  where  the  dark  cypresses 
are  overhung  with  mosses,  forming  a  com- 
plete shade,  this  bird  will  be  found  in  its 
solitary  grandeur.  It  is  a  very  beautiful 
bird  in  plumage,  but  its  habits  are  those  of 
the  vulture  and  pelican.  It  is  one  of  the 
pirates  of  the  waters  and  the  woods. 

The  flamingo  is  remarkable  for  the  splen- 
dor of  its  apparel.  It  is  entirely  scarlet, 
with  the  exception  of  the  bill,  half  of  which, 
and  the  points  of  each  wing,  are  black.  One 
of  the  most  singular  birds  is  the  oyster 
catcher.  This  species  is  always  found  among 
the  sands,  or  rocky  shores  of  streams  and 
bays  opening  from  the  ocean.  It  never  flies 
inland.  It  is  seldom  seen  in  large  numbers 
together.  It  has  a  very  long,  slender,  but 
powerful  bill.  Its  plumage,  which  is  best 
seen  when  it  is  on  the  wing,  is  very  hand- 
some. Its  flight  is  swift  and  graceful,  often- 
times accompanied  with  remarkable  evolu- 
tions. When  flying  in  a  small  group  they 
will  suddenly  check  their  course,  and  wheel- 
ing, return  floating,  not  low  over  the  waters, 
but  soaring  high  in  the  air.  Then  they  will 
abruptly  check  their  flight,  form  into  ranks, 
presenting  a  broad  front,  and,  as  if  alarmed, 


172          LIFE  IN   THE   WOODS;   OR, 

will  dive  toward  the  sands  or  the  waves. 
Should  they  perceive  any  one  watching 
them,  and  they  are  always  on  the  alert,  they 
send  forth  a  shrill  cry  of  alarm,  and  fly  at 
once  entirely  out  of  sight. 

Audubon  found  that  he  could  observe  their 
habits  only  with  a  telescope.  When  it  sup- 
poses itself  perfectly  safe,  it  is  often  seen 
thrusting  its  long  bill  into  the  sand.  It  is  in 
this  way  it  obtains  its  food,  searching  for 
crabs  and  oysters.  It  forces  its  bill  like  a 
chisel  between  the  shells  of  the  oyster,  and 
feasts  upon  the  tenant  within.  Sometimes 
it  will  dash  the  shell  against  the  sand  until 
it  is  broken,  and  its  contents  exposed.  It 
does  not  form  any  regular  nest,  but  scratches 
the  sand  until  a  hollow  is  formed,  in  which 
it  deposits  its  eggs.  While  the  sun  shines 
the  bird  does  not  sit  upon  the  eggs  ;  when, 
however,  the  eggs  are  laid  upon  the  bare 
rock,  as  on  the  coast  of  Labrador,  the  bird 
broods  in  the  same  manner  as  other  species. 

The  deputy  collector  of  Indian  Key,  when 
the  Marian  (or  the  lady  of  the  green  mantle, 
as  the  smugglers,  who  make  these  dangerous 
keys  their  resort,  called  her)  crossed  the 
coral  reef  (which  stretches  along  the  shore 
like  an  immense  wall  built  by  giants,  but  is 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.   173 

simply  the  work  of  minute  insects)  and 
entered  this  inlet,  fitted  Audubon  out  with  a 
boat  and  a  pilot,  and  he  at  once  entered 
upon  his  interesting  search.  While  the  assist- 
ants were  engaged  in  procuring  shells,  plants, 
and  small  birds,  the  pilot  said  to  him : 

''Come  along;  I'll  show  you  something 
better  worth  your  while." 

The  boat  was  urged  by  its  crew  at  a  high 
speed  until  we  approached  a  point,  when  the 
oars  were  taken  in,  and  we  were  desired  to 
be  ready  for  what  was  to  come.  As  we 
advanced,  the  captain  quietly  sculling  the 
boat,  there  was  a  profound  silence  main- 
tained, until,  suddenly  coming  almost  in  con- 
tact with  a  thick  shrubbery  of  mangroves, 
we  beheld  right  before  us  a  multitude  of 
pelicans.  A  discharge  of  guns  at  once  fol- 
lowed. The  dead,  the  dying,  and  wounded 
fell  from  the  trees  upon  the  water,  while  the 
rest  rose  screaming  into  the  air.  Having 
taken  their  spoils,  the  pilot  ordered  his  crew 
to  pull  away  again,  and  the  boat  soon 
reached  the  extremity  of  the  coral  ledge. 
The  boat  was  laid  close  under  some  four 
hundred  nests  of  cormorants.  They  fired 
immediately,  and  from  the  number  that 
dropped,  as  if  dead,  into  the  water,  it  ap- 


17-i          LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS;    OR, 

peared  as  if  they  had  destroyed  the  whole 
colony.  The  pilot  only  laughed  at  them. 
"A  blank  shot,  gentlemen,"  said  he.  "You 
should  have  waited  until  I  gave  you  the 
word."  Sure  enough,  one  after  another  of 
the  birds  peeped  up  curiously  out  of  the 
water  and  soon  took  to  the  wing;  only  a 
few  had  been  injured.  Their  nests,  which 
had  been  made  of  dry  twigs,  resisted  the 
shot.  They  should  have  waited  until  the 
birds  rose  from  their  nests. 

"  The  next  morning,"  Audubon  says,  "  was 
delightful.  The  gentle  sea-breeze  glided 
over  the  flowery  isle,  the  horizon  was  clear, 
and  all  was  silent  save  the  long  breakers 
that  washed  over  the  distant  reefs.  As  we 
were  proceeding  to  some  keys  seldom  visited 
by  men,  the  sun  rose  from  the  bosom  of  the 
waters  with  a  burst  of  glory  that  flashed  on 
my  soul  the  idea  of  that  power  which  called 
into  existence  so  magnificent  an  object.  The 
surface  of  the  waters  shone  in  its  tremulous 
smoothness,  and  the  deep  blue  of  the  heavens 
was  pure  as  the  world  that  lies  beyond 
them.  The  heron  heavily  flew  toward  the 
land,  like  the  glutton  retiring  at  daybreak, 
with  well-lined  paunch,  from  the  house  of 
some  wealthy  patron  of  good  cheer.  The 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.  175 

night-heron  and  the  owl,  fearful  of  day,  with 
hurried  flight  sought  safety  in  the  recesses 
of  the  deepest  swamps ;  while  the  gulls  and 
terns,  ever  cheerful,  gamboled  over  the 
waters,  exulting  in  the  prospect  of  abundance. 
I  also  exulted  in  hope;  my  whole  frame 
seemed  to  expand.  How  much  of  beauty 
and  joy  is  lost  to  those  who  never  view  the 
rising  sun!" 

After  a  row  of  twenty  miles  they  reached 
the  southern  cape  of  Florida.  The  flocks  of 
birds  tljat  covered  the  beaches  here,  and 
hovered  over  their  heads,  were  so  immense 
that  they  almost  doubted  their  eyes.  The 
first  volley  they  fired  brought  down  sixty- 
five  great  godwits.  "Rose-colored  curlews 
stalked  gracefully  beneath  the  mangroves, 
purple  herons  rose  at  almost  every  step  we 
took,  and  each  cactus  supported  the  nest  of 
a  white  ibis.  The  air  was  darkened  by  the 
multitude  of  wings,  while  on  the  waters 
floated  gallinules,  and  other  interesting 
birds."  It  was  a  day  of  strange  and  power- 
ful excitements,  and  many  additions  were 
made  to  his  portfolio.  On  their  return  to 
the  cutter  they  had  an  experience  of  one  of 
the  severe  hurricanes  so  common  and  fatal 
in  these  southern  seas.  It  was  nearly  sun- 


176          LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS;  OR, 

down,  when  a  black  cloud  suddenly  obscured 
the  light,  and  the  sails  of  their  little  boat 
began  to  swell  with  the  increasing  breeze. 
One  sail  was  hauled  in  and  secured;  the 
other  was  closely  reefed.  A  low  murmur- 
ing sound  was  heard,  and  occasionally  sharp 
flashes  of  lightning  glanced  across  the  dark 
masses  of  moving  clouds.  A  furious  cloud 
seemed  now  rushing  toward  them  like  an 
eagle  on  outstretched  wings.  They  were 
not  more  than  a  cable's  length  from  the 
shore,  when  the  pilot  said  to  them,  calmly 
but  decidedly:  "Sit  perfectly  quiet,  gentle- 
men; the  boat  cannot  upset,  my  word  for 
that,  if  you  will  but  sit  still ;  here  we  have 
it!" 

Those  who  have  not  witnessed  such  a 
tornado  can  form  little  idea  of  its  terrific 
grandeur.  "  One  would  think  that,  not  con- 
tent with  laying  waste  all  on  the  land,  it 
must  needs  sweep  the  waters  of  the  shallows 
dry  to  quench  its  thirst.  No  respite  for  an 
instant  does  it  afford  to  the  objects  within 
the  reach  of  its  furious  current.  Like  the 
scythe  of  the  destroying  angel,  it  cuts  every- 
thing by  the  roots,  as  it  were,  with  the 
careless  ease  of  the  experienced  mower. 
Each  of  its  revolving  sweeps  collects  a  heap 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.  177 

that  might  be  likened  to  the  full  sheaf  which 
the  husbandman  flings  by  nis  side.  On  it 
goes  with  a  wildness  and  fury  that  are  inde- 
scribable ;  and  when  at  last  its  frightful 
blasts  have  ceased,  Nature,  weeping  and  dis- 
consolate, is  left  bereaved  of  her  beauteou? 
offspring.  In  some  instances  even  a  full 
century  is  required  before,  with  all  her  pow- 
erful energies,  she  can  repair  her  loss.  The 
planter  has  not  only  lost  his  mansion,  his 
crops,  and  his  flocks,  but  he  has  to  clear  his 
lands  anew,  covered  and  entangled  with  the 
trunks  and  branches  of  trees.  The  bark 
overtaken  by  the  storm  is  cast  on  the  lee- 
shore,  and  if  any  are  left  to  witness  the  fatal 
results  they  are  the  '  wreckers '  alone,  who, 
with  inward  delight,  gaze  upon  the  melan- 
choly spectacle." 

The  instant  the  blast  reached  their  boat 
it  shivered  like  a  leaf.  They  thought  it  had 
gone  over,  but  the  next  moment  it  was  high 
upon  the  shore.  Audubon  turned  to  gaze 
upon  the  sublime  and  awful  sight.  The 
waters  were  drifted  into  heaps  like  snow; 
the  tough  mangrove  bushes  hid  their  tops 
amid  their  roots,  and  the  loud  roaring  of  the 
waves  blended  with  the  howl  of  the  tempest. 
The  rain  did  not  fall,  but  masses  of  water 


178  LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS;   OR, 

flew  in  a  horizontal  direction,  and  struck  him 
with  the  force  of  a  smart  blow.  They  were 
providentially  saved.  The  stonn  had  passed 
away  in  half  an  hour. 


THE   PIRATE'S   DEATH. 

Audubon,  whose  gentle  and  engaging 
manners  won  for  him  the  warm  regards  of  all 
the  officers  of  the  cutter,  gathered  from  them 
not  only  much  information  in  reference  to 
his  favorite  birds,  but  whiled  away  many 
hours  hi  listening  to  their  adventures  upon 
the  dangerous  coast  along  which  they  sailed. 

One  calm  moonlight  night,  as  he  was 
admiring  the  wonderful  beauty  of  the  clear 
heavens,  the  office'r  of  the  watch  entered 
into  conversation  with  him.  Of  humble 
birth,  in  his  early  days  he  had  been  engaged 
in  the  turtle  fishery,  and  in  hunting  wild 
game.  By  his  native  energy  he  had  secured 
an  education,  and  gradually  risen  to  his  pres- 
ent station.  Among  his  early  adventures  he 
related  this  as  occurring  in  a  recess  in  the 
Bhores  of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  while  he  was 
upon  a  hunting  expedition. 

It  was  drawing  toward  night,  and  seek- 
ing a  good  place  to  pitch  his  slight  tent 


Audubon    listening  to  the   Captain   of   the   Watch. 


THE  ADVENTURES  OP  AUDUBON.  181 

among  the  canes  upon  the  shore,  as  he  pad- 
dled his  boat  along  he  came  to  the  mouth  of 
a  little  stream,  and  proceeded  a  short  distance 
up  the  current,  in  order  that  his  boat  might 
be  beyond  the  effects  of  any  sudden  storm 
upon  the  Gulf.  As  he  moved  up  the  stream 
he  suddenly  came  upon  a  very  beautiful  boat. 
But  on  reaching  it,  what  was  his  horror  to 
find  its  sides  marked  with  blood  stains ;  and 
looking  within,  to  find  two  human  bodies 
covered  with  gore.  He  knew  that  either 
pirates  or  hostile  Indians  had  been  engaged  in 
this  frightful  work,  and  he  felt  no  little  fear 
lest  they  might  be  still  lingering  in  the  vicin- 
ity. While  deliberating  as  to  the  course  he 
should  take,  he  heard,  in  the  distance,  the 
groans  of  a  person  apparently  in  great  agony. 
Putting  aside  all  fears  for  his  personal  safety, 
he  hastened  in  the  direction  of  the  sufferer, 
carrying  his  gun  loaded,  and  ready  to  be 
fired,  in  his  hand.  As  he  cautiously  picked 
his  way  through  the  canes,  a  hand  was  seen 
waving  in  the  air  in  the  most  supplicating 
manner.  In  the  next  moment  the  head  and 
breast  of  a  man,  covered  with  blood,  were 
raised  up,  and  a  faint,  husky  voice  asked 
for  mercy  and  help.  A  death-like  silence 
followed  as  he  sank  back  upon  the  earth. 


182          LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS;   OR, 

The  hunier  looked  carefully  around  to  see 
if  there  wei  e  any  foes  upon  the  watch ;  but  all 
was  still  save  the  croakings  of  the  frogs,  and 
the  evening  song  of  the  insects.  He  hurried 
back  to  the  stream,  and  filling  his  cap  with 
water,  he  returned  to  the  dying  man.  He 
washed  his  face  and  breast,  rubbed  his  tern 
pies  with  some  spirits  that  he  carried  in  t> 
vial  in  his  pocket,  and  noticed  more  closely 
the  features  of  the  fainting  man.  He  must 
have  been  a  powerful  man,  as  his  chest  was 
immense ;  but  his  face  was  hard  and  forbid- 
ding. He  groaned  in  the  most  appalling 
manner  as  his  breath  struggled  through  the 
mass  of  blood  that  seemed  to  fill  his  throat. 
He  noticed  that  a  large  pistol  was  thrust 
into  his  bosom,  and  a  naked  cutlass  lay  near 
him  on  the  grass,  while  a  red  silk  handker- 
chief was  bound  around  his  forehead.  His 
appearance  at  once  disclosed  the  fact  that  he 
was  a  pirate. 

As  the  hunter  bathed  his  temples  he  revived, 
and  exhibited  some  signs  of  recovering.  It 
was  now  dark,  and  he  spoke  of  making  a  fire; 
but,  as  if  fearing  to  be  left  alone,  or  to  be  dis- 
covered by  the  light  of  the  flames,  the  pirate 
besought  him  to  desist.  He  gathered,  how- 
ever, some  kindlings,  and  soon  a  blaze  lit  up 


THE   ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.  183 

the  darkness  of  the  scene.  He  sought  to 
stanch  the  flowing  of  the  blood  from  the 
pirate's  wounds,  and  to  bind  up  the  deepest 
gashes.  It  was  the  most  extraordinary  hour 
of  the  hunter's  life.  He  tried  to  talk  with 
the  dying  man  upon  religious  subjects,  but 
found  that  he  hardly  believed  in  the  existence 
of  God. 

"  Friend,"  said  the  bleeding  man  to  him, 
"  for  a  friend  you  seem  to  be,  I  never  studied 
the  ways  of  Him  of  whom  you  talk.  I  am  an 
outlaw,  perhaps  you  will  say  a  wretch ;  I  have 
been  for  many  years  a  pirate.  The  instruc- 
tions of  my  parents  were  of  no  avail  to  me, 
for  I  have  always  believed  that  I  was  born  to 
be  a  most  cruel  man.  I  now  lie  here,  about 
to  die  in  the  weeds,  because  I  long  ago  re- 
fused to  listen  to  their  many  admonitions. 
Do  not  shudder  when  I  tell  you,  these  now  use- 
less hands  murdered  the  mother  whom  they 
had  embraced.  I  feel  that  I  have  deserved 
the  pangs  of  the  wretched  death  that  hovers 
over  me,  and  I  am  thankful  that  one  of  my 
kind  will  alone  witness  my  last  gaspings." 

To  his  further  efforts  to  induce  the  miser- 
able man  to  pray,  he  said, 

"  It  is  all  in  vain,  friend ;  I  have  no  objec- 
tion to  die.  I  want  no  pardon  from  any 


184          LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS;   OR, 

one.  Give  me  some  water,  and  let  me  die 
alone." 

He  tried  to  induce  him  to  make  some  refer- 
ence to  the  scene  in  which  he  lost  his  life, 
and  give  some  information  of  his  companions; 
but  his  answer  was, 

"  It  is  impossible  ;  there  will  not  be  time ; 
the  beatings  of  my  heart  tell  me  so.  My 
wounds  are  mortal,  and  I  must  die  without 
what  you  call  a  confession." 

He  brought  him  another  cap  full  of  watei, 
and  poured  it  slowly  into  his  lips.  The 
moon,  in  its  mild  beauty,  now  rose  in  the 
east.  He  pointed  it  out  to  the  dying  pirate, 
and  asked  him  if  could  not  in  it  see  the  hand 
of  God. 

"  Friend,  I  see  what  you  are  driving  at," 
was  his  answer ;  "  you,  like  the  rest  of  our 
enemies,  feel  the  desire  of  murdering  us  all. 
Well,  be  it  so ;  to  die  is,  after  all,  nothing 
more  than  a  jest ;  and  were  it  not  for  the 
pain,  no  one,  in  my  opinion,  need  care  a  jot 
about  it.  But,  as  you  really  have  befriended 
me,  I  will  tell  you  all  that  is  proper." 

He  bathed  his  temples  again,  and  waslied 
his  lips  with  spirits,  hoping  his  mind  might 
take  a  right  direction.  This  was  the  sub- 
stance of  what  he  gurgled  out  of  his  throat 


THE  ADVENTUKES  OF  AUDUBON.   185 

in  broken  English,  all  the  while  chok- 
ing with  blood.  He  inquired  how  many 
bodies  were  in  the  boat,  and  when  told  he 
said, 

"  That's  right ;  they  are  the  bodies  of  the 
scoundrels  who  followed  me  in  that  infernal 
Yankee  barge.  Bold  rascals  they  were  ;  for 
when  they  found  the  water  too  shallow  for 
their  craft,  they  left  it  and  waded  after  me. 
All  my  companions  had  been  shot,  and  to 
lighten  my  own  boat  I  flung  them  overboard. 
As  I  lost  time  in  this,  my  two  pursuers 
caught  hold  of  my  gunwale,  (side  of  the 
boat,)  and  struck  me  on  my  head  and  body 
in  such  a  manner  that  after  I  had  disabled  and 
killed  them  both  in  the  boat  I  was  scarce  able 
to  move.  The  other  portion  of  the  Yankee 
crew  carried  off  our  schooner  and  one  of  our 
boats,  and  perhaps  ere  now  have  hung  all  my 
companions  whom  they  did  not  kill  at  the 
time. 

"  I  have  commanded  my  beautiful  vessel 
many  years,  captured  many  ships,  and  sent 
many  rascals  to  the  devil.  I  always  hated 
the  Yankees,  and  only  regret  that  I  have  not 
killed  more  of  them.  I  sailed  from  Matan- 
zas.  I  have  often  been  in  concert  with  oth- 
ers. I  have  money  without  counting,  but  it 


186          LIFE   IN  THE   WCODS;   OR, 

is  buried  where  it  will  never  be  found,  and 
it  would  be  useless  to  tell  you  of  it." 

This  was  all  the  confession  of  the  dying 
pirate.  In  this  spirit  he  rushed  into  the 
presence  of  a  pure  God,  and  of  the  victims 
of  his  murderous  hand.  His  throat  filled 
with  blood,  his  voice  failed,  the  cold  hand  of 
death  was  laid  upon  his  brow  ;  feebly  and 
hurriedly  he  muttered,  "  I  am  a  dying  man, 
farewell." 

The  officer,  as  he  turned  to  Audubon,  con- 
cluded his  sad  recital,  saying, 

"  Alas !  it  is  painful  to  see  death  in  any 
shape ;  in  this  it  was  horrible,  for  there  was 
no  hope.  The  rattling  in  his  throat  an- 
nounced the  moment  of  dissolution,  and  the 
body  fell  on  my  arms  with  a  weight  that  was 
unsupportable.  I  laid  him  on  the  ground. 
A  mass  of  dark  blood  poured  from  his 
mouth ;  then  came  a  frightful  groan,  the  last 
breathing  of  that  foul  spirit ;  and  what  now 
lay  at  my  feet  ?  a  mangled  mass  of  clay." 

He  buried  him  in  the  sand,  and  with  joy 
at  his  own  escape  from  a  conflict  with  the 
pirates,  he  launched  his  canoe  and  paddled 
out  of  the  stream  with  a  feeling  of  mingled 
gloom  and  abhorrence. 

Audubon  examined  every  part  of  the  coast, 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.  187 

and  with  his  companions  obtained  an  abund- 
ance of  rich  materials  for  his  remaining  vol- 
umes. The  Marion  having  occasion  to  visit 
the  Tortugas,  Audubon  embraced  the  oppor- 
tunity of  examining  these  remarkable  islands. 
They  form  a  group  of  five  or  six  low,  sandy, 
uninhabitable  banks,  about  eighty  miles  from 
Key  West.  Between  these  islands  are  deep 
channels,  very  intricate,  and  only  safe  to 
those  that  are  perfectly  familiar  with  them. 
The  great  coral  reef  or  wall  lies  about  eight 
miles  from  these  sandbanks,  upon  which 
many  a  vessel  has  been  wrecked.  The  whole 
surface  of  the  islands  is  covered  with  corals, 
sea-fans,  and  innumerable  shell-fish.  Turtles 
of  different  species  resort  here  to  lay  their 
eggs,  and  clouds  of  sea-fowl  flock  here  every 
spring  for  the  same  piirpose.  Cargoes  of 
eggs  are  gathered  here  and  carried  to  dis- 
tant ports. 

It  was  a  few  hours  before  sunset  when  the 
Marion  dropped  her  anchor  near  one  of  these 
islands.  Audubon  thought  the  sight  of  a  sun- 
set in  these  southern  latitudes  was  worth  a 
voyage  for  the  purpose. 

"  Look  at  the  great  red  disc,"  he  says,  "  in- 
creased to  triple  its  ordinary  dimensions ! 
Now  it  has  partially  sunk  beneath  the  dig- 


188  LIFE   IN  THE   WOODS;   OR, 

tant  line  of  waters,  and  with  its  still  remain- 
ing half  irradiates  the  whole  heavens  with  a 
flood  of  golden  light.  A  blaze  of  refulgent 
glory  streams  through  the  portals  of  the 
west,  and  the  masses  of  vapor  assume  the 
appearance  of  mountains  of  molten  gold. 
The  night  hawk  is  flapping  his  noiseless 
wings  in  the  gentle  breeze ;  the  terns,  safely 
landed,  have  settled  on  their  nests ;  the  frig- 
ate pelicans  are  seen  wending  their  way  to 
distant  mangroves ;  and  the  brown  gannet, 
in  search  of  a  resting-place,  has  perched  on 
the  yard  of  the  vessel.  Slowly  advancing 
landward,  their  heads  only  above  the  water, 
are  observed  the  heavily-laden  turtles,  anx- 
ious to  deposit  their  eggs  in  the  well-known 
sands.  On  the  surface  of  the  gently  rippling 
stream  I  dimly  see  their  broad  forms  as 
they  toil  along,  while  at  intervals  may  be 
heard  their  hurried  breathings,  indicative  of 
suspicion  and  fear. 

The  moon  with  her  silvery  light  now  illu- 
mines the  scene,  and  the  turtle  having  land- 
ed, slowly  and  laboriously  drags  her  heavy 
body  over  the  sand,  her  flappers  being  bet- 
ter adapted  for  motion  in  the  water  than  on 
shore.  Up  the  slope,  however,  she  works 
her  way,  and  see  how  industriously  she  re- 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.   189 

moves  the  sand  beneath  her,  casting  it  out 
on  either  side.  Layer  after  layer  she  depos- 
its her  eggs,  arranging  them  in  the  most 
careful  manner,  and,  with  her  hind  paddles, 
brings  the  sand  over  them.  The  business  is 
accomplished,  the  spot  is  covered  over,  and, 
with  a  joyful  heart,  the  turtle  swiftly  retires 
toward  the  shore,  and  launcnes  into  the 
deep." 

There  are  four  different  species  of  turtles; 
the  green  turtle,  which  is  preferred  as  an  ar- 
ticle of  food  ;  the  hawk-billed  turtle,  the  shell 
of  which  is  so  valuable  an  article  of  com- 
merce ;  the  loggerhead  turtle,  and  the  trunk 
turtle,  which  sometimes  grows  to  an  enor- 
mous size,  and  has  a  pouch  like  a  pelican.  Its 
shell  and  flesh  are  so  soft  that  the  finger  can 
be  pushed  into  them  almost  as  easily  as  into 
a  lump  of  butter.  On  this  account  this  spe- 
cies is  seldom  eaten  except  by  the  Indians. 
The  turtles  spend  the  winter  in  deep  waters, 
but  in  the  spring  they  approach  the  shores 
to  lay  their  eggs,  selecting  the  wildest  and 
most  secluded  spots  for  this  purpose.  They 
approach  the  shores  usually  on  fine  moon- 
light nights.  When  thirty  or  forty  yards 
from  the  beach,  the  turtle  raises  its  head 
above  the  water  and  carefully  examines  the 


190  LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS  J  OR, 

shore.  If  everything  appears  quiet  she  pours 
forth  a  loud  hissing  noise,  apparently  to 
frighten  away  any  intruders  that  may  be 
prowling  about  the  shores.  If  she  hears  any 
noise,  or  perceives  any  danger,  she  sinks  into 
the  water  and  goes  off  to  a  considerable  dis- 
tance; but  if  everything  is  quiet  she  ad- 
vances slowly  to  the  beach,  and  crawls  over 
it,  with  her  head  raised  to  the  full  stretch  of 
her  neck.  When  she  finds  a  favorable  place 
for  her  eggs  she  again  gazes  around  in  si- 
lence. Finding  all  well,  she  proceeds  to  dig 
her  hole  in  the  sand  to  the  depth  of  from 
eighteen  inches  to  two  feet.  The  eggs,  to 
the  number  of  from  one  hundred  and  fifty  to 
two  hundred,  are  then  dropped  one  by  one, 
in  layers,  into  their  nest.  And  now  the 
turtle  scrapes  the  loose  sand  back  over  the 
eggs,  and  so  levels  and  smooths  the  surface 
that  few  persons  on  seeing  the  spot  would 
imagine  that  it  had  been  disturbed.  The 
eggs  are  hatched  by  the  heat  of  the  sand. 
The  moment  her  work  is  finished  she  starts 
for  the  water.  Turtle  hunters  seize  the  op- 
portunity, when  they  are  upon  the  land,  to 
capture  them.  They  sometimes  weigh  sev- 
eral hundred  pounds.  Audubou  was  offered 
one  weighing  seven  hundred.  The  first  thing 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.   191 

to  be  done  is  to  turn  them  over  upon  their 
backs,  when  they  become  perfectly  helpless. 
The  turtle  hunter  falls  upon  his  knees,  and 
placing  his  shoulder  behind  the  fore  flapper 
of  his  victim  gradually  raises  her  up,  and 
with  a  jerk  throws  her  over.  When  the 
turtle  is  of  a  very  large  size,  as  is  often 
the  case,  handspikes  have  to  be  employed. 
The  turtle's  bite  is  very  fierce,  but  it  can 
turn  its  head  only  a  short  distance,  and  may 
easily  be  avoided.  Many  beasts  of  prey,  as 
well  as  the  human  kind,  follow  their  tracks 
to  discover  their  nests  and  rob  them  of  their 
eggs ;  but  their  great  skill  in  covering  the 
surface  defends  the  majority  of  them  from 
harm.  The  turtle  is  sometimes  taken  in  im- 
mense nets,  and  sometimes  harpooned,  when 
sleeping  upon  the  water,  like  a  whale. 

"  When  I  was  in  the  Floridas,"  says  Au- 
dubon,  "  several  turtle  hunters  assured  me 
that  any  turtle  taken  from  the  depositing 
ground  and  carried  on  the  deck  of  a  vessel 
several  hundred  miles,  would,  if  then  let 
loose,  certainly  be  met  with  at  the  same  spot, 
either  immediately  after  or  in  the  following 
season.  Should  this  prove  true,  and  it  cer- 
tainly may,  how  much  will  be  enhanced  the 
belief  of  the  student  in  the  uniformity  and 


192          LIFE   IN  THE   WOODS;   OR, 

solidity  of  nature's  arrangements,  when  ho 
finds  that  the  turtle,  like  a  migratory  bird, 
returns  to  the  same  locality,  with  perhaps  a 
delight  similar  to  that  experienced  by  the 
traveler,  who,  after  visiting  distant  countries, 
once  more  returns  to  the  bosom  of  his  cher- 
ished family." 

Having  examined  every  part  of  the  coast 
visited  by  the  revenue  cutter,  he  returned  to 
Charleston  loaded  with  the  spoils  of  the  sea 
and  of  the  shore.  He  now  turned  his  steps 
to  the  eastward  as  summer  opened,  (the 
winter  having  been  passed  in  the  Floridas,) 
anxious  to  keep  pace  with  the  birds  during 
their  migrations.  His  family  again  met  him 
at  Philadelphia,  and  proceeded  with  him  to 
Boston.  His  sons  had  now  reached  an  age 
to  offer  him  valuable  assistance  in  his  labors 
and  studies,  and  they  seemed  to  inherit 
much  of  his  enthusiasm  in  the  study  of  nat- 
ural history.  His  eldest  son,  Victor  Gifford, 
left  them  at  Boston  to  return  to  England,  to 
superintend  the  publication  of  the  great  work ; 
while  the  younger  son,  John  Woodhouse,  ac- 
companied his  father  on  his  eastern  trip. 


THE  ADVENTURES  OP    AUDUBON.  193 


THE   MEADOW   LARK. 

On  the  rich  grass-fields  not  far  from  the 
sandy  sea-shores  of  New  Jersey,  he  found 
this  beautiful  bird  in  the  greatest  numbers. 
He  watched  its  first  entrance  into  its  favor- 
ite summer  resorts  in  the  opening  spring. 
It  is  interesting  to  see  how  deep  and  fresh 
are  Audubon's  emotions  of  joy  as  he  wel- 
comes his  charming  little  friends  and  their 
rapturous  songs.  He  is  in  the^  fields  before 
sunrise  ;  "  the  industrious  bee  is  yet  asleep, 
as  are  the  birds  in  bush  and  tree  ;  the  small 
wavelets  break  on  the  beach  with  a  gentle 
murmur  ;  the  sky  is  so  beautifully  blue,  that, 
on  seeing  it,  one  fancies  himself  near  heaven; 
the  limpid  dew-drops  hang  on  every  leaf, 
bud,  and  blossom.  Anxious  to  view  nature 
at  her  best,  I  lie  waiting  in  pleasure  for  the 
next  moment ;  it  has  come ;  all  is  life  and 
energy  ;  the  bee,  the  bird,  the  animal,  all  na- 
ture awakens  into  life,  and  every  being  seems 
moving  in  the  light  of  the  divine  counte- 
nance. Ferventlv  do  I  praise  the  God  who 
has  called  me  into  existence,  and  devotedly 
do  I  pursue  my  avocations,  carefully  treading 
on  the  tender  grass  until  I  reach  a  seat  by 


194          LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS;   OR, 

nature's  own  hand  prepared,  when  I  pause^ 
survey,  admire,  and  try  to  understand  all, 
yes,  all  around  me.  Delightful  days  of  my 
youth,  when,  full  of  strength,  health,  and 
gladness,  I  often  enjoyed  the  bliss  of  contem- 
' plating  the  beauties  of  creation!  They  are 
gone,  never  to  return ;  but  memory  fondly 
cherishes  the  thoughts  which  they  called  into 
being,  and  while  life  remains  will  their  mem- 
ory be  pleasing." 

A  lark,  which  had  arrived  from  the  south 
the  evening  before,  now  arises  from  the 
grass,  refreshed  by  his  rest,  and  rushing  into 
the  air  pours  out  his  melodious  notes,  hoping 
to  hear  a  response  from  his  female  compan- 
ion. The  females  sometimes  lag  a  little  be- 
hind in  the  great  northern  flight.  "The 
male,"  as  Audubon  follows  him  with  his  eye, 
"is  still  on  the  wing.  His  notes  sound  loud 
and  clear,  as  he  impatiently  surveys  the 
grassy  plain  beneath  him.  His  beloved  is 
not  there.  His  heart  almost  fails  him,  and, 
disappointed,  he  rises  toward  the  black  wal- 
nut-tree. I  now  see  him,  not  desponding,  as 
you  might  suppose,  but  vexed  and  irritat- 
ed. See  how  he  spreads  his  tail,  how  often 
he  raises  his  body,  how  he  ejaculates  his  sur- 
prise, and  loudly  calls  for  her.  Ah !  there 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.  195 

comes  the  dear  creature ;  her  timorous,  tender 
notes  announce  her  arrival.  Her  mate  has  felt 
the  charm  of  her  voice.  His  wings  are  spread, 
and,  buoyant  with  gladness,  he  flies  to  meet, 
to  welcome  her,  anticipating  all  the  bliss 
prepared  for  him.  Would  that  I  could  in- 
terpret to  you,  as  I  feel  them,  the  many  as- 
surances of  friendship,  fidelity,  and  love  that 
at  this  precious  moment  pass  from  the  one 
to  the  other  as  they  place  their  bills  togeth- 
er and  chatter  their  mutual  loves.  Alas  !  it 
were  vain  to  attempt  it.  I  have  listened  to 
the  talk,  it  is  true  ;  I  have  witnessed  all  their 
happiness;  but  I  cannot  describe  it.  You, 
reader,  must  watch  them,  as  I  have  done,  if 
you  wish  to  understand  their  language." 

At  the  foot  of  some  tall  tuft  of  grass  they 
now  prepare  a  nest.  A  round  hole  is  scooped 
out  in  the  ground,  and  in  it  is  arranged  a 
quantity  of  grass,  fibrous  roots,  and  other 
materials,  disposed  in  a  circle  so  as  to  resem- 
ble an  oven.  The  leaves  and  blades  of  grass 
around  are  then  so  matted  together  as  to 
cover  and  conceal  it.  The  old  birds  take 
turns  in  setting  upon  the  four  or  five  little 
speckled  eggs  that  are  in  the  nest,  and  are 
unremitting  in  their  attention  toward  each 
other  at  this  time,  and  afterward  in  the  care 


196          LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS  ;   OR, 

of  their  offspring.  While  the  female  is  upon 
the  nest,  the  male,  besides  procuring  food, 
sits  near  and  cheers  her  with  his  finest  songs. 


BOSTON. 

Audubon  was  deeply  impressed  with  the 
hearty  and  generous  reception  that  he  met 
from,  the  educated  and  wealthy  men  of  Bos- 
ton. His  list  of  subscribers  was  considerably 
increased,  and  every  means  that  the  city 
offered,  or  that  could  be  found  in  private 
collections,  was  at  once  placed  at  his  dis- 
posal. "  Ah,  reader,"  says  Audubon,  "  my 
heart  fails  me  when  I  think  of  the  estimable 
friends  whose  society  afforded  me  so  much 
pleasure  in  that  beautiful  city,  the  Athens  of 
our  western  world.  Never,  I  fear,  shall  I 
have  it  in  my  power  to  return  a  tithe  of  the 
hospitality  which  was  there  shown  toward 
us,  or  of  the  benevolence  and  generosity 
which  we  experienced,  and  which  evidently 
came  from  the  heart,  without  the  slightest 
mixture  of  ostentation.  Indeed,  I  must  ac- 
knowledge that  although  I  have  been  happy 
in  forming  many  valuable  friendships  in  va- 
rious parts  of  the  world,  all  dearly  cherished 
by  me,  the  outpouring  of  kindness  which  I 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  ADDUBON.  197 

experienced  at  Boston  far  exceeded  all  that  I 
have  ever  met  with." 

While  Audubon  was  visiting  Boston,  Mr. 
Greenwood,  proprietor  of  the  museum,  sold 
him  a  fine  specimen  of  the  golden  eagle. 
Audubon  was  overjoyed  at  his  magnificent 
purchase.  "  The  eagle,"  he  says,  "  was  im- 
mediately conveyed  to  my  residence,  covered 
with  a  blanket,  to  save  him,  in  his  adversity, 
from  the  gaze  of  the  people.  I  placed  the 
cage  so  as  to  afford  me  a  good  view  of  the 
captive,  and  I  must  acknowledge  that  as  I 
watched  his  looks  of  proud  disdain,  I  did  not 
feel  toward  him  so  generously  as  I  ought  to 
have  done.  At  times  I  was  half  inclined  to  re- 
store to  him  his  freedom,  that  he  might  return 
to  his  native  mountains ;  nay,  I  several  times 
thought  how  pleasant  it  would  be  to  see  him 
spread  out  his  broad  wings,  and  sail  uway 
toward  the  rocks  of  his  wild  haunts;  but 
then  some  one  seemed  to  whisper  that  I 
ought  to  take  his  portrait,  and  I  abandoned 
the  more  generous  design  of  setting  him  at 
liberty  for  the  express  purpose  of  showing 
my  friends  his  appearance.  I  occupied  my- 
self a  whole  day  in  watching  his  movements ; 
on  the  next  I  came  to  a  determination  as  to 
the  position  in  which  I  might  best  repre- 


198          LIFE  IN   THE  WOODS;   OR, 

sent  him  ;  and  on  the  third  thought  of  how 
I  could  take  away  his  life  with  the  least  pain 
to  him.  I  consulted  several  persons,  and 
among  others  my  most  worthy  and  generous 
friend,  Dr.  George  Parkman,  who  kindly 
visited  my  family  every  day.  He  spoke  of 
suffocating  him  by  means  of  burning  char- 
coal, or  killing  him  by  electricity ;  and  we 
finally  concluded  that  the  first  method  would 
probably  be  the  easiest  for  ourselves  and  the 
least  painful  to  him.  Accordingly  the  bird 
was  removed  in  his  cage  into  a  very  small 
room,  and  closely  covered  with  blankets ;  a 
pan  of  lighted  charcoal  was  introduced,  the 
windows  and  doors  fastened,  and  the  blank- 
ets tucked  in  beneath  the  cage.  I  waited, 
expecting  every  moment  to  hear  him  fall 
down  from  his  perch ;  but  after  listening  for 
hours  I  opened  the  door,  raised  the  blank- 
ets, and  peeped  under  them  amid  a  mass  of 
suffocating  fumes.  There  stood  the  eagle  on 
his  perch,  with  his  bright,  unflinching  eye 
turned  toward  me,  and  as  lively  and  vigorous 
as  ever !  Instantly  reclosing  every  aperture, 
I  resumed  my  station  at  the  door,  and  to- 
ward midnight,  not  having  heard  the  least 
noise,  I  again  took  a  peep  at  my  victim.  Pie 
was  still  uninjured,  although  the  air  of  the 


The  Golden  Eagle 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.  201 

closet  was  insupportable  to  my  son  and  ray- 
self,  and  that  of  the  adjoining  apartment  be- 
gan to  feel  unpleasant.  I  persevered,  how- 
ever, for  ten  hours  in  all,  when,  finding  that 
the  charcoal  fumes  would  not  produce  the 
desired  eifect,  I  retired  to  rest  wearied  and 
disappointed.  Early  next  morning  I  tried 
the  charcoal  anew,  adding  to  it  a  quantity  of 
sulphur ;  but  we  were  nearly  driven  from  our 
house  in  a  few  hours  by  the  stifling  vapors, 
while  the  noble  bird  continued  to  stand  erect 
and  look  defiance  at  us  whenever  we  ap- 
proached his  post  of  martyrdom.  His  fierce 
demeanor  precluded  all  internal  application, 
and  at  last  I  was  compelled  to  resort  to  a 
method  always  used  as  a  last  expedient,  and 
a  most  effectual  one.  I  thrust  a  long  pointed 
piece  of  steel  through  his  heart,  when  my 
proud  prisoner  instantly  fell  dead,  without 
even  ruffling  a  feather. 

"I  sat  up  nearly  the  whole  of  another 
night  to  outline  him,  and  worked  so  constant- 
ly at  the  drawing  that  it  nearly  cost  me  my 
life.  I  was  suddenly  seized  with  a  spas- 
modic affection  that  much  alarmed  my  fam- 
ily, and  completely  prostrated  me  for  some 
days." 

The  golden  eagle  frequents  the  upper  wa- 


202          LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS;   OR, 

ters  of  the  Hudson  and  the  lake  countries. 
Andubon  saw  it  afterward  hovering  over  the 
dreary  crags  of  Labrador. 

It  does  not,  like  the  white-headed  eagle, 
seize  its  prey  when  on  the  wing ;  but  the 
keenness  of  its  vision  enables  it  to  mark  its 
pri/e  at  a  great  distance,  and  driving  through 
the  air  with  the  swiftness  almost  of  lightning, 
it  fastens  upon  the  helpless  victim.  Audubon 
says  its  motions  as  it  soars  high  in  the  air 
are  most  majestic,  and  worthy  of  this  mon- 
arch among  birds.  The  nest  of  this  eagle  is 
placed  invariably  upon  some  high  and  rug- 
ged cliff,  and  can  be  approached  only  at  great 
risk  to  the  invader.  In  the  war  of  the  Rev- 
olution a  company  of  soldiers,  stationed  near 
the  highlands  of  the  Hudson,  discovered  a 
golden  eagle's  nest  in  a  cleft  of  the  rocks, 
midway  between  the  summit  and  the  river. 
One  of  the  soldiers  was  let  down  by  his  com- 
panions, suspended  by  a  rope  fastened  round 
his  body.  On  reaching  the  nest  he  found 
himself  suddenly  attacked  by  the  eagle.  In 
self-defense  he  drew  the  only  weapon  he  had, 
his  knife,  and  made  repeated  passes  at  the 
bird.  When,  to  his  horror,  he  accidentally 
struck  the  rope  that  held  him  and  nearly 
severed  it.  It  began  to  unravel.  The  men 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.   203 

above,  seeing  the  danger,  instantly  but  careful- 
ly drew  him  up,  relieving  him  from  his  peril- 
ous position,  he  constantly  expecting  every 
instant  to  be  dashed  to  the  gulf  below.  So 
powerful  was  the  eifect  of  the  terror  upon 
the  soldier,  that  before  the  lapse  of  three 
days  his  hair  became  quite  gray. 

About  the  middle  of  August,  with  com- 
panions obtained  in  Boston,  he  rambled  over 
Maine  and  the  adjoining  British  provinces. 
They  made  excursions  into  all  parts  of  the 
country,  ransacking  the  woods  and  shores, 
and  finding  constantly  new  friends  proffer- 
ing him  their  willing  aid,  and  new  accessions 
to  his  knowledge  of  his  feathered  compan- 
ions. He  found  valuable  assistance  from  the 
lumberers,  who  spend  the  winters  in  cutting 
the  immense  pines  that  form  the  vast  forests 
of  Maine,  and  floating  them  down  the  great 
rivers  to  the  towns  and  cities,  where  they 
are  sawn  into  lumber  and  exported  to  a 
thousand  different  ports.  In  the  summer,  as 
the  smaller  streams  become  shallow,  many  of 
these  logs  are  lodged,  and  ingenious  plans 
are  resorted  to  in  order  to  float  them  down 
to  the  mills. 


204          LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS;   OR, 


A  TIMBER  DRIVE. 

In  the  month  of  September,  in  the  town 
of  Dennisville,  in  Maine,  Audubon  witnessed 
such  an  operation.  The  creek  that  con- 
veyed the  logs  to  the  mill-pond  was  inter- 
rupted in  its  course  by  many  rapids  and 
narrow  gorges  with  high  banks.  One  of  these 
gorges  was  about  a  mile  above  the  mill- 
dam,  and  it  was  so  rocky  and  rugged  as  to 
render  it  impossible  to  float  the  large  logs 
through  it  at  low  water.  Thousands  of 
logs  had  accumulated  in  it.  They  lay  piled 
in  confused  heaps  to  a  great  height  along  an 
extent  of  several  hundred  yards,  in  some 
places  so  close  together  as  to  form  a  kind  of 
dam.  Above  the  narrow  gorge  there  was 
a  large  natural  reservoir,  where  the  waters 
seemed  to  gather  and  spread  out  into  the 
appearance  of  a  pond.  Across  the  gorge 
the  lumberers  raised  a  temporary  barrier 
with  the  refuse  boards  from  the  saw-mill. 
The  boards  were  planted  upright,  and  fast- 
ened at  their  tops  to  a  strong  tree,  extend- 
ing across  the  creek.  These  boards  were 
secured  at  the  bottom  by  braces,  which  could 
be  easily  removed.  The  dam  was  soon 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.  205 

completed,  so  that  very  little  water  escaped 
through  it.  In  two  or  three  weeks  the 
water  rose  to  the  top  of  the  high  dam. 
Early  one  morning  he  was  summoned  to  see 
the  result  of  the  experiment.  Two  lum- 
berers, throwing  off  their  jackets,  tying 
handkerchiefs  around  their  heads,  and  fast- 
ening a  long  rope  to  their  bodies,  the  end  of 
which  was  held  by  three  or  four  others,  who 
stood  ready  if  necessary  to  drag  their  com- 
panions ashore,  were  prepared  for  their  peril- 
ous adventure.  Each  one  now  taking  an 
ax,  walked  along  to  the  braces  in  the  cen- 
ter of  the  dam,  and  at  a  given  signal  knocked 
them  away,  leaping  with  great  dexterity 
themselves  from  log  to  log  to  the  shore, 
almost  with  the  quickness  of  thought. 
Scarcely  had  they  reached  it  when  the 
waters  burst  forth  with  a  horrible  roar. 
All  eyes  were  now  bent  toward  the  huge 
heap  of  logs  in  the  gorge.  "The  tumult 
uous  burst  of  the  waters  instantly  swept 
away  every  object  that  opposed  their  prog- 
ress, and  rushed  in  foaming  waves  among 
the  timbers  that  everywhere  blocked  up  the 
passage.  Presently  a  slow,  heavy  motion 
was  perceived  in  the  mass  of  logs  ;  one  might 

have  imagined  that   some  mighty  monster 
13 


206          LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS;   OR, 

lay  convulsively  writhing  beneath  them, 
struggling  with  a  fearful  energy  to  extri- 
cate himself  from  the  crushing  weight.  As 
the  waters  rose  this  movement  increased, 
the  mass  of  timber  extended  in  all  direc- 
tions, appearing  to  become  more  and  more 
entangled  each  moment.  Now  the  rushing 
water  filled  the  gorge  to  the  brim.  The 
logs  once  under  way,  rolled,  reared,  tossed, 
and  tumbled  amid  the  foam  as  they  were 
carried  along.  Many  of  the  smaller  trees 
broke  across,  from  others  great  splinters 
were  sent  up,  and  all  were  in  some  degree 
seamed  and  scarred.  Then  in  tumultuous 
majesty  swept  along  the  mingled  wreck,  the 
current  being  now  increased  to  such  a  pitch 
that  the  logs  as  they  were  dashed  against 
Jhe  rocky  shores  resounded  like  the  report 
of  distant  artillery,  or  the  angry  rumblings 
of  the  thunder.  It  seemed  to  me  as  if  I 
witnessed  the  rout  of  a  vast  army,  surprised, 
overwhelmed,  and  overthrown.  The  roa* 
of  the  cannon,  the  groans  of  the  dying,  and 
the  shouts  of  the  avengers,  were  thundering 
through  my  brain,  and  amid  the  frightful 
confusion  of  the  scene  there  came  over  my 
spirit  a  melancholy  feeling,  which  had 
not  entirely  vanished  at  the  end  of  many 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.   207 

.lays."  In  a  few  hours  nearly  all  the 
timber  that  had  lain  heaped  in  the  rocky 
gorge  was  floating  in  the  great  pond  of  the 
millers. 

All  down  the  large  rivers  of  Maine,  dur- 
ing the  spring  and  summer,  the  merry  lum- 
ber men  in  their  red  shirts  are  still  engaged 
in  floating,  or  "driving"  down,  as  it  is 
called,  the  immense  pines  cut  during  the 
winter  to  the  mills  and  harbors  near  the 
mouths  of  the  streams.  Many  such  wild 
and  dangerous  adventures  as  this  recorded 
by  Audubon  mark  the  history  of  every  sea- 
son. 

One  principal  object  of  his  visit  to  Maine 
was  to  become  acquainted  with  the  "  spotted 
or  Canada  grouse,"  called  also  "  the  spruce 
partridge."  In  the  village  of  Dennisville, 
eighteen  miles  from  Eastport,  he  became  ac- 
quainted with  the  family  of  Judge  Lincoln. 
Each  of  the  sons  seemed  to  have  his  own 
peculiar  taste,  and  Audubon  became  soon 
strongly  attached  to  Thomas,  who  from  his 
youth  had  manifested  a  decided  fondness 
for  the  study  of  birds  and  their  habits.  He 
was  a  perfect  woodsman  and  marksman,  and 
together  they  scoured  the  forests,  and  se- 
cured all  the  varieties  they  could  reach  of 


208  LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS;    OR. 

their  feathered  inhabitants.  The  breeding 
grounds  of  the  grouse  are  the  larch  or  hack- 
nietack  woods.  They  are  very  difficult  to 
traverse.  The  whole  ground  is  covered 
with  a  beautiful  carpeting  of  velvet  moss, 
over  which  the  light-footed  partridges  walk 
or  run  with  ease,  but  Audubon  and  his  com- 
panion would  sink  at  every  step  nearly  to 
the  waist.  In  such  places,  difficult  of  access, 
these  birds  usually  remain.  They  make 
their  nests  beneath  the  low  horizontal 
branches  of  the  fir-trees,  carefully  con- 
cealed. It  is  made  of  twigs,  dried  leaves, 
and  mosses,  and  here  from  eight  to  fourteen 
eggs  of  a  deep  fawn  color  are  laid.  Only 
one  brood  is  raised  in  a  season,  and  they 
follow  the  mother  like  chickens  as  soon  as 
hatched.  All  the  species  of  this  bird  indi- 
cate the  approach  of  rainy  weather  or  a 
snow-storm  far  more  accurately  than  the 
best  barometer.  On  the  afternoon  previous 
to  such  weather  they  all  resort  to  their  roost- 
ing places  several  hours  earlier  than  they 
usually  do.  Audubon  noticed  that  flocks  of 
them  often  went  to  roost  at  midday,  or  as 
soon  as  the  weather  felt  heavy,  and  he  found 
that  it  generally  rained  before  night.  "When 
the  flock  remained  busy  in  search  for  food 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.  209 

until  sunset,  he  found  the   night  and  day 
following  clear. 


THE  BURNING  FOREST. 

Audubon's  piety  seems  to  have  been  a 
simple,  constant,  filial  reliance  upon  the 
heavenly  Father,  ever  and  powerfully  awak- 
ened by  every  object  in  nature  that  specially 
exhibited  the  wisdom  and  love  of  God,  and 
always  expressing  itself  in  devout  thanks  for 
daily  mercies,  and  in  a  hearty  sympathy 
with  the  devotions  of  others. 

"How  delightful  to  me  it  has  been,"  he 
says,  "  when  kindly  received  under  a  friendly 
roof  by  persons  whose  means  were  as  scanty 
as  their  generosity  was  great,  I  have  entered 
into  conversation  with  them  respecting  sub- 
jects of  interest  to  me  and  received  gratify- 
ing information.  When  the  humble  but 
plentiful  repast  was  ended  the  mother  would 
take  from  the  shelf  the  Book  of  books,  and 
mildly  request  the  attention  of  her  family 
while  the  father  read  aloud  a  chapter.  Then 
to  heaven  would  asoend  their  humble  pray- 
ers, and  a  good-night  would  be  bidden  to 
all  friends  far  and  near.  How  comfortably 
have  I  laid  my  weary  frame  on  the  buffalo 


210          LIFE   IN  THE   WOODS;   OR, 

hide,  and  covered  me  with  the  furry  skin  of 
some  huge  hear." 

Such  a  night  he  passed  during  one  of  his 
excursions  in  Maine,  and  as  the  next  day 
was  very  rainy,  he  accepted  the  invitation 
of  his  hosts  to  remain  with  them.  The 
spinning-wheel  in  the  hands  of  the  daughter 
commenced  its  merry  music,  and  the  boys 
busied  themselves  with  their  school  books, 
while  the  father  and  his  visitor  sat  in  inter- 
esting conversation  together.  Allusion  hav- 
ing been  made  to  great  fires  in  the  woods 
by  the  mother,  Audubon  asked  him  to  what 
she  referred. 

"A  number  of  years  before,"  he  said, 
"terrible  fires  had  occurred  in  the  woods 
around  them;  she  and  I,  and  all  of  us,  have 
good  reason  to  dread  them." 

Audubon  had  read  of  them  at  the  time, 
but  desired  to  have  an  account  of  them  from 
the  lips  of  one  who  witnessed  them. 

At  the  time  they  occurred  all  the  larch  or 
hackmetack  trees  were  nearly  killed  by  in- 
sects cutting  their  leaves,  which  is  fatal  to 
evergreens.  After  destroying  the  larch,  they 
attacked  the  spruces  and  pines  with  the  same 
blasting  results.  These  insects  were  in  form 
like  the  caterpillar,  about  three  quarters  of 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.  211 

an  inch  in  length,  and  as  green  as  the  trees 
upon  which  they  fed.  These  dead  trees, 
well  seasoned,  afford  ready  fuel  for  a  fire. 
Many  thought  the  Indians  set  the  woods  on 
fire,  but  Audubon's  host  thought  they  might 
have  occurred  by  the  accidental  fall  of  one 
large  tree  upon  another :  rubbing  together 
fire  would  be  started,  and  being  covered 
with  pitch,  the  wind  would  soon  fan  it  to  a 
blaze.  While  they  were  talking  a  rush  of 
wind  down  the  chimney  blew  the  blaze  of 
fire  out  into  the  room.  The  wife  and  daugh- 
ter started  involuntarily  for  the  door,  imagin- 
ing for  the  moment  that  the  woods  were 
again  on  fire.  Returning  when  they  under- 
stood the  cause,  the  lumberer  continued  his 
conversation. 

"  Poor  things !"  said  he.  "  I  dare  say  that 
what  I  have  told  you  brings  sad  recollections 
to  the  minds  of  my  wife  and  oldest  daughter, 
who,  with  myself,  had  to  fly  from  our  home 
at  the  time  of  the  great  fires." 

At  the  request  of  Audubon  he  related  the 
circumstances.  They  were  sound  asleep  one 
night,  in  a  cabin  about  a  hundred  miles  from 
their  present  residence,  when,  about  two 
hours  before  daylight,  they  were  suddenly 
awakened  by  the  snorting  of  ihe  horses  and 


212          LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS;   OR, 

the  lowing  of  the  cattle.  The  lumberer 
caught  up  his  rifle  and  rushed  to  the  door, 
when  he  was  struck  by  the  glare  of  light 
reflected  on  all  the  trees  before  him,  as  far 
as  he  could  see  through  the  woods.  His 
horses  were  leaping  about,  snorting  loudly, 
and  the  cattle  ran  wildly  among  them  with 
their  tails  straight  over  their  backs.  On 
going  back  of  the  house  he  could  hear  plainly 
the  crackling  made  by  the  burning  brush- 
wood, and  saw  the  flames  in  an  extended 
line  approaching  the  house.  He  ran  to  the 
house  and  hurried  up  his  wife  and  child. 
He  could  only  take  with  him  the  little 
amount  of  money  he  had,  and  managed,  for- 
tunately, to  catch  two  of  his  best  horses. 
Taking  his  child  in  one  arm,  he  mounted  one 
horse,  and  his  wife  the  other.  As  they  start- 
ed he  looked  back  once  more,  and  saw  that 
the  frightful  blaze  had  already  reached  the 
rear  of  the  house.  His  hunting-horn  hap- 
pened, fortunately,  to  be  fastened  to  his 
clothes,  and  he  blew  it,  to  collect,  if  possible, 
his  dogs  and  cattle  around  him.  The  cattle 
followed  for  a  while,  but  before  an  hour  had 
elapsed  they  all  ran  as  if  mad  through  the 
woods,  and  that  was  the  last  he  saw  of  them. 
The  dogs,  that  were  usually  perfectly  obedient, 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.  213 

now  rushed  on  after  the  flocks  of  deer  that 
went  bounding  by  them,  as  if  fully  aware 
that  death  was  upon  her  track.  They  heard 
the  blasts  of  the  horns  of  their  neighbors  in 
different  directions,  urging  their  way  from 
the  devouring  flames.  He  thought  of  a 
large  lake  some  miles  off,  which  might  pos- 
sibly check  the  flames ;  and  urging  his  wife 
to  whip  up  her  horse,  they  set  off  at  full 
speed  over  the  fallen  trees  and  heaps  of 
brush. 

They  soon  began  sensibly  to  feel  the  heat, 
and  they  feared  that  their  ^horses  would  drop 
every  instant.  A  singular  kind  of  breeze 
passed  over  their  heads,  and  the  glare  of  the 
atmosphere  shone  brighter  than  the  day- 
light. His  wife  looked  pale,  and  he  was 
sensible  himself  of  faintness.  The  child's  face 
was  flushed  with  the  heat.  Ten  miles  were 
soon  bounded  over  by  the  fleet  horses 
When,  however,  they  reached  the  lake,  cov- 
ered with  sweat  and  quite  exhausted,  their 
hearts  sank  within  them.  The  heat  of  the 
smoke  was  insufferable,  and  sheets  of  blazing 
fire  flew  over  them.  They  coasted  the  side 
of  the  lake  opposite  the  wind,  and  finally 
gave  up  their  horses,  which  they  never  saw 
again.  They  went  down  into  the  rushes  by 


214          LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS;   OR, 

the  edge  of  the  water  and  laid  themselves 
down  flat,  as  their  only  chance  of  escaping 
the  flames.  The  waters  cooled  and  refreshed 
them.  On  went  the  fire,  rushing  and  crash- 
ing through  the  woods  ;  the  whole  heavens 
were  in  a  perfect  glare.  Their  bodies  were 
cool  enough,  but  their  heads  were  scorching. 
The  little  girl,  now  apprehending  the  danger, 
almost  broke  their  hearts  with  her  cries. 

The  day  passed  on,  and  they  became  hun- 
gry from  their  long  fast.  Wild  beasts  plunged 
into  the  water,  and  came  and  stood  near 
them,  as  if  seeking  their  protection.  Faint 
and  weary,  he  managed  to  shoot  a  porcu- 
pine, and  they  all  tasted  its  flesh.  The  terri- 
ble night  finally  passed  away.  The  ground 
was  covered  with  smoldering  fires,  and  the 
trees  stood  like  pillars  of  flame.  The  stifling 
and  sickening  smoke  still  rushed  over  them, 
and  the  burnt  cinders  and  ashes  fell  thickly 
about  them.  He  could  hardly  tell  how  they 
got  through  the  night,  for  some  of  the  time 
he  was  unconscious.  Toward  morning,  al- 
though the  heat  did  not  abate,  the  smoke 
became  less,  and  puffs  of  fresh  air  came  oc- 
casionally to  them.  They  began  now  to 
shiver  with  the  cold,  having  remained  so  long 
iu  the  water.  They  went  to  a  burning  log 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.  215 

and  warmed  themselves;  but  what  was  to 
become  of  them  they  could  not  think.  His 
wife  hugged  her  child  to  her  breast  and  wept 
bitterly;  "but  God,"  said  the  lumberer, 
"  had  preserved  us  through  the  worst  of  the 
danger,  and  the  flames  had  gone  past,  so 
I  thought  it  would  be  ungrateful  to  him, 
and  unmanly  to  despair  now."  Hunger  be- 
gan to  press  them,  but  deer  were  near  them  ; 
and  with  his  gun  he  soon  secured  one,  and 
roasted  its  flesh  upon  the  abundant  coals. 
By  this  time  the  blaze  of  the  fire  had  passed 
out  of  sight,  but  it  was  still  dangerous  to  go 
among  the  burning  trees.  After  a  while 
they  commenced  their  sad  march.  Taking 
his  little  girl,  he  led  the  way  over  the  hot 
ground  and  rocks.  After  two  weary  days 
and  nights,  during  which  they  suffered  terri- 
bly, they  reached  the  "  hard  woods,"  which 
had  been  free  from  fire.  Soon  after  they 
came  to  a  house,  where  they  were  kindly 
received. 

"  Since  then,"  said  the  grateful  woodsman, 
"I  have  worked  hard  and  constantly  as  a 
lumberer;  but,  thanks  be  to  God!  here  we 
are  safe,  sound,  and  happy." 


216          LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS;  OR, 


BAY  OF  FUNDY. 

Audubon,  in  the  revenue  cutter  Swiftsure, 
enjoyed  a  very  interesting  and  profitable 
cruise  in  the  Bay  of  Fundy.  On  White 
Head  Island,  near  the  Island  of  Grand 
Manan,  he  found  almost  every  tree  of  a 
wood  covering  several  acres  bearing  nests 
of  a  certain  species  of  gulls  whose  habits  he 
was  anxious  to  study.  "  What  a  treat,"  he 
says,  "  was  it  to  find  birds  of  this  kind  lodged 
on  fir-trees,  and  sitting  comfortably  on  their 
eggs !  Their  loud  cackling  notes  led  us  to 
their  place  of  resort,  and  ere  long  we  had 
satisfactorily  observed  their  habits,  and  col- 
lected as  many  of  themselves  and  their  eggs 
as  we  considered  sufficient."  A  morning  in 
the  bay,  when  the  air  was  filled  with  the  me- 
lodious concerts  of  birds,  awakened  the  live- 
liest interest  in  the  mind  of  Audubon.  As 
the  day  broke,  "  how  delightful  it  was  to  see 
fair  Nature  open  her  graceful  eyelids,  and 
present  herself,  arrayed  in  all  that  was  rich- 
est and  purest,  before  her  Creator.  Ah, 
reader,  how  indelibly  are  such  moments  en- 
graved on  my  soul !  With  what  ardor  have 
I  gazed  around  me,  full  of  the  desire  of  being 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.  217 

enabled  to  comprehend  all  that  I  saw !  How 
often  have  I  longed  to  converse  with  the 
feathered  inhabitants  of  the  forest,  all  of 
which  seemed  then  intent  on  offering  up 
their  thanks  to  the  object  of  my  own  admi- 
ration !  The  delightful  trills  of  the  winter 
wren  rolled  through  the  underwood ;  the 
red  squirrel  smacked  time  with  his  chops; 
the  loud  notes  of  the  robin  sounded  clearly 
from  the  tops  of  the  trees ;  the  rosy  gros- 
beak nipped  the  tender  blossoms  of  the 
maples ;  and  high  overhead  the  loons  passed 
in  pairs,  rapidly  wending  their  way  toward 
far  distant  shores.  Would  that  I  could  have 
followed  in  their  wake !" 

Point  Lepreaux  Harbor,  where  they  an- 
chored, was  noted  for  an  Indian  custom 
which  interested  Audubon.  Several  species 
of  ducks  that  in  myriads  cover  the  waters 
of  the  bay  are  at  times  destroyed  here  in  a 
very  singular  manner.  When  July  has  come, 
all  the  water-birds  that  are  no  longer  capa- 
ble of  breeding  remain,  "  like  so  many  forlorn 
bachelors  and  old  maids,  to  renew  their 
plumage  along  the  shores."  At  this  period, 
when  the  birds  are  utterly  unfit  for  flight, 
troops  of  Indians  make  their  appearance  in 
light  bark-canoes,  paddled  by  the  squaws 


218  LIFE   IN  THE   WOODS;  OR, 

and  papooses,  (women  and  children.)  They 
form  their  boats  into  an  extended  curve, 
and  drive  the  birds  before  them  with  a  ter- 
rific noise  ;  shouting,  and  beating  the  water 
with  their  paddles.  Terrified  by  the  noise, 
the  birds  push  rapidly  through  the  water 
before  them,  seeking  to  escape.  The  tide  is 
high,  and  every  cove  around  the  shore  is 
filled  with  the  ducks.  The  Indians  cease  to 
shout,  and  silently  close  up  upon  the  helpless 
multitudes,  and  wait  until  the  tide  goes 
down,  when  each  one  seizing  a  stick,  they 
rush  upon  their  prey.  In  this  way  some- 
times more  than  five  hundred  wild  fowla 
have  been  destroyed. 

Our  readers  have  heard  of  the  remarkable 
tides  in  the  Bay  of  Fundy.  Audubon  could 
hardly  believe  the  statements  in  reference  to 
them  until  he  witnessed  their  occurrence. 

When  the  tide  went  down,  the  bed  of  the 
bay  where  they  observed  it  was  bare  for  nine 
miles,  like  a  sandy  wilderness ;  and  when  the 
tide  began  to  flow  in,  it  rose  three  feet  in 
ten  minutes,  and  at  high  water  it  was  sixty- 
five  feet  deep  above  the  sands  that  were  bare 
a  few  hours  before. 

From  the  Bay  of  Fundy  they  proceeded 
to  the  coast  of  Labrador.  A  heavy  mist 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.  219 

covered  the  surface  of  the  waters  as  they 
approached  the  harbor  of  Bras  d'Or;  and 
although  it  was  daylight,  they  could  not 
distinguish  the  coast  of  Labrador,  then  only 
a  mile  distant.  An  old  fisherman  from  East- 
port,  who  saw  their  signal,  came  onit  in  his 
boat  and  piloted  them  through  the  narrow 
channel,  guarded  by  two  dangerous  rocks, 
into  the  port.  Here  they  were  assailed  by 
the  powerful  odor  of  the  decaying  and  cured 
fish.  A  hundred  fishing  barks  lay  at  anchor. 
Every  deck  was  heaped  with  the  fish,  which 
brings  annually  so  many  vessels  from  differ- 
ent ports  and  nations  to  this  stormy  and 
rugged  coast.  Some  of  the  crews  were  ply- 
ing their  nets  in  search  of  small  fishes  for 
bait;  while  others  were  strewing  the  salted 
cod  over  the  naked  rocks,  under  the  drying 
rays  of  the  sun.  Stacks  of  fish,  nearly  cured, 
stretched  along  in  close  array  to  an  im- 
mense distance. 

When  the  mists  were  lifted  from  the 
scene  a  sublime  prospect  presented  itself- 
high  craggy  cliffs,  with  masses  of  snow  still 
hanging  to  their  sides  at  the  close  of  July, 
with  cataracts  rushing  from  under  the  ice 
furiously  down  toward  the  plain.  As  they 
gazed  upon  the  novel  scene  the  song  of  the 


220          LIFE   IN  THfl  WOODS;   OR, 

shore-lark  began  to  fill  the  air.  "Man  the 
whale-boat,"  cried  Auclubon  to  his  young 
companions,  "let  us  be  off  to  the  shore;" 
and  soon  they  were  all  at  the  place  where  they 
had  seen  a  lark  alight.  Never  before  had 
he  enjoyed  the  rich  song  of  this  bird  so  fully, 
or  succeeded  in  finding  its  nest;  but  here  he 
found  this  charming  singer  in  the  full  per- 
fection of  its  plumage  and  song,  and  here  he 
had  an  opportunity  of  studying  its  habits. 
The  shore-lark  breeds  on  the  high  and  deso- 
late tracts  of  Labrador,  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
sea.  The  shore  is  one  uneven  surface  of 
dark  granite,  covered  with  mosses  and  lich- 
ens, scattered  about  in  large  patches  or  tufts. 
Upon  these  the  lark  makes  her  nest.  The 
moss  is  often  so  nearly  the  color  of  the  bird 
that  you  can  hardly  discover  her  until  your 
foot  is  almost  upon  the  nest.  As  you  ap- 
proach too  near  for  her  comfort  she  flutters 
away,  feigning  lameness  so  cunningly  that 
none  but  one  accustomed  to  the  sight  can 
help  pursuing  her  as  a  wounded  bird.  Her 
mate  immediately  joins  her  in  this  mimio 
wretchedness,  uttering  at  the  same  time  a 
note  so  soft  and  plaintive,  that  it  requires  a 
strong  motive  even  to  force  a  naturalist  to 
disturb  the  poor  birds  in  their  little  treasure 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.  221 

of  eggs  or  young  birds.  The  nest  is  scooped 
out  of  the  moss,  and  lined  first  with  fine 
grasses,  and  then  with  the  softest  feathers. 
Four  or  five  pale  blue  eggs,  with  brown 
spots,  make  their  appearance  in  the  begin- 
ning of  July.  The  little  birds  leave  the 
nest  before  they  can  fly,  running  about  upon 
the  moss  in  company  with  their  parents. 
They  run  so  nimbly  that  it  is  quite  difficult 
to  take  them.  When  thus  pursued  the  old 
birds  follow  directly  overhead,  pouring  out 
the  most  melancholy  notes.  "In  several 
instances,"  Audubon  says,  "they  followed 
us  almost  to  our  boat,  alighting  occasionally 
on  a  projecting  crag  before  us,  and  entreating 
us,  as  it  were,  to  restore  their  offspring." 

The  birds  leave  their  northern  homes  for 
the  South  about  the  beginning  of  September. 
They  start  then  at  the  dawn  of  day,  and  fly 
without  much  order,  in  straggling  bands,  just 
above  the  water.  The  birds  spend  their 
winters  in  Massachusetts,  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  sea-shore  and  wide,  sandy  plains.  They 
seldom  are  found  south  of  Maryland. 

After  they  had  been  three  weeks  in  the 
country,  one  morning  just  at  sunrise  they 
entered  one  of  the  small  valleys  between  the 
craggy  cliffs.  The  beautiful  verdure,  the 


222  LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS  ;   OK, 

numerous  flowers  that  were  sprinkled  over 
the  ground,  the  half-smothered  pipings  of 
the  frogs,  and  the  multitude  of  musquitoes, 
made  the  spot  seem  to  Audubon,  in  this 
bleak  land,  one  of  peculiar  liveliness.  But 
his  ear  was  even  more  delighted  than  his 
eye.  He  heard  a  note  of  surpassing  power 
and  sweetness  coming  from  a  species  of  the 
finch  that  he  had  never  seen  before,  and 
seeming  to  be  a  compound  between  that  of 
the  canary  and  the  European  wood-lark. 
He  shouted  to  his  companions,  and  they  all 
followed  the  charming  songster  as  he  flitted 
from  bush  to  bush.  Whenever  he  alighted 
he  would  commence  afresh  his  song.  The 
shot  of  Mr.  Lincoln,  one  of  his  young  friends, 
brought  the  bird  down,  and  Audubon  gave 
to  it  the  name  of  the  Lincoln  finch.  Its 
habits  were  found  to  resemble  those  of  the 
song-sparrow.  Like  it,  mounted  on  the 
topmost  twig  of  the  tallest  shrub  or  tree  it 
can  find,  it  chants  for  hours. 

THE  EGGERS. 

The  eggers  of  Labrador  is  the  appellation 
given  to  certain  persons  who  devote  them- 
selves exclusively  to  plundering  the  nests  of 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.  223 

the  wild  birds  on  this  uninhabited  coast, 
with  a  view  of  selling  them  in  distant  ports. 
Audubon  witnessed  their  cruel  and  improvi- 
dent proceedings  with  horror.  In  a  misera- 
ble craft,  dirty  beyond  description,  unpainted, 
unwashed,  and  sending  forth  a  deadly  odor, 
they  creep  along  the  coast,  hiding  under  the 
shadow  of  the  terrible  cliffs,  that  seemed  to 
have  been  arranged  on  purpose  to  provide 
an  undisturbed  resort  for  the  myriads  of 
birds  that  annually  visit  this  desolate  region 
of  the  earth  for  the  purpose  of  rearing  their 
young.  The  crew  of  this  despicable  vessel, 
eight  in  number,  in  their  appearance  corre- 
spond with  their  vessel. 

In  the  middle  of  the  afternoon  they  launch 
their  boat  and  enter  it,  each  with  a  rusty 
gun.  At  their  approach  clouds  of  birds  rise 
screaming  from  the  rocks,  wheeling  in  cir- 
cles in  every  direction.  Thousands,  how- 
ever, still  remain,  standing  over  their  eggs 
to  guard  them.  The  reports  ol  muskets  are 
heard,  and  dead  or  wounded  birds  fall  upon 
the  rock  or  into  the  water.  Instantly  the 
whole  company  of  birds  take  flight,  and  the 
robbers  commence  their  shocking  work. 
They  trample  hundreds  of  eggs  under  their 
feet,  crushing  the  half-formed  chick  within 


224          LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS;   OR, 

its  shell,  and  bear  off  as  many  as  they  can 
load  upon  themselves,  with  the  dead  birds 
that  they  have  shot.  Thus  they  go  from 
cliff  to  cliff,  collecting  all  the  fresh  eggs  and 
destroying  the  others.  Audubon  could  not 
endure  the  sight. 

"At  every  step,"  he  says,  "each  ruffian 
picks  up  an  egg,  so  beautiful  that  any  man 
with  a  feeling  heart  would  pause  to  consider 
the  motive  which  could  induce  him  to  carry 
it  off.  But  nothing  of  this  sort  occurs  to  the 
egger,  who  gathers  and  gathers  until  he  has 
swept  the  rock  bare.  The  dollars  alone 
chink  in  his  sordid  mind,  and  he  assiduously 
plies  the  trade  which  no  man  would  ply  who 
had  talents  and  industry  to  procure  subsist- 
ence by  honorable  means." 

They  are  a  drunken  set  of  men,  in  constant 
and  bloody  quarrels  with  each  other,  and 
with  other  crews  engaged  in  the  same  busi- 
ness. They  gather  all  the  eider  down  they 
can  find,  and  massacre  the  birds  in  great 
numbers  for  their  feathers.  So  constant  are 
their  depredations,  that  some  species  of  birds 
that  were  very  abundant  formerly  had 
abandoned  their  breeding-places  and  re- 
moved farther  to  the  North,  in  search  of  a 
secure  retreat.  Such  a  war  of  extermination 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.  225 

could  not  last  long.  The  British  govern- 
ment  passed  stiict  laws  against  these  merci- 
less robbers,  and  punished  all  that  were 
caught  selling  their  eggs  in  any  of  the 
provinces. 

THE  FRENCHMEN  OF  LABRADOR. 

As  the  schooner  lay  at  anchor  in  a  beauti-. 
ful  basin  on  the  coast,  surrounded  by  high, 
rugged  cliffs  covered  with  a  stunted  verdure, 
while  watching  for  birds  one  morning  Audu- 
bon  saw  on  the  high  rocks  of  a  small  island, 
separated  by  a  narrow  channel  from  the 
mainland,  a  dark  object.  Turning  his  tele- 
scope in  that  direction  he  saw  a  man  on  his 
knees,  with  clasped  hands,  and  with  his  face 
inclined  downward.  Before  him  was  a  small 
monument  of  unhewn  stones,  supporting  a 
wooden  cross.  Such  an  incident  in  that 
desolate  land  was  as  surprising  as  it  was  af- 
fecting. His  curiosity  was  so  much  excited 
that,  taking  his  boat,  he  soon  landed  upon 
the  rock,  and  scrambled  up  to  the  place 
where  the  man  still  remained  upon  his 
knees.  When  his  devotions  were  ended  he 
rose  and  bowed  to  Audubon,  speaking  in 
very  poor  French.  Audubon  asked  him  why 


226          LIFE   IN  THE   WOODS;   OR, 

he  had  chosen  such  a  dreary  spot  for  his 
prayers. 

"  Because,"  said  he,  "  the  sea  lies  before 
me,  and  from  it  I  receive  my  spring  and 
summer  sustenance.  When  winter  approach- 
es I  pray  fronting  the  mountains  upon  the 
main ;  for  at  this  period  the  karaboos  come 
toward  the  shore,  and  I  kill  them  and  feed 
on  their  flesh,  and  form  my  bedding  of  their 
skins." 

Audubon  was  so  struck  with  his  singular 
appearance,  and  the  peculiar  character  of  his 
religious  services,  that  he  followed  him  to 
his  hut  to  learn  more  about  him.  It  was 
very  low,  formed  of  stones  plastered  with 
mud,  the  roof  being  thatched  with  weeds 
and  moss.  It  was  warmed  by  a  large  Dutch 
stove;  a  hole  in  the  side,  stuffed  with  rags, 
took  the  place  of  a  window ;  the  bed  was  a 
pile  of  deer  skins ;  a  bowl,  a  jug,  and  three 
old  rusty  muskets,  with  ammunition,  formed 
his  furniture.  Eight  Esquimaux  dogs  yelled 
and  leaped  about  the  visitor.  It  was  too 
filthy  a  place  to  be  visited  long.  The  host 
was  very  polite ;  insisted  on  his  taking  some 
refreshment,  and  rushed  out  somewhere  with 
a  bowl,  as  if  to  obtain  it.  Audubon  seized 
the  moment  to  go  into  the  air  and  catch  a 


ftttt* 


Audubon   and   the   Frenchman   who  lost   his   "Rum." 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.   229 

pure  breath.  It  was  June,  and  he  was  sur- 
prised to  see  how  rapidly  in  this  northern 
latitude  verdure  had  come  forward.  The 
grasses  h/id  nearly  reached  maturity,  and 
flies  and  musquitoes  filled  the  air,  as  if  he 
had  been  in  a  Florida  swamp.  The  French- 
man returned  looking  very  chop-fallen.  Tears 
ran  down  his  cheeks  while  he  told  Audubon 
that  his  barrel  of  rum  had  been  stolen  by 
some  prowling  fishermen.  He  said  he  had 
been  in  the  habit  of  hiding  it  in  the  bushes, 
to  prevent  its  being  carried  away  by  these 
merciless  thieves ;  but  he  thought  they  must 
have  watched  him  in  his  constant  walks  in 
that  direction.  "  And  now,"  said  he,  "  I 
can  expect  none  until  next  spring,  and  God 
knows  what  will  become  of  me  in  the  win. 
ter."  One  would  suppose  he  might  have 
been  in  greater  distress  for  food  than  for  his 
annual  barrel  of  rum.  He  had  resided  here 
for  upward  of  ter.  years,  having  run  away 
from  the  fishing  vessel  that  brought  him  from 
France.  He  expected  to  become  rich  some 
day  by  the  sale  of  furs,  seal  skins,  eider- 
down, and  other  articles  which  he  collected 
on  these  desolate  shores,  and  sold  to  the 
traders  that  made  their  regular  visits  to 
Labrador.  He  told  Audubon  that,  "  except- 


230          LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS;   OR, 

ing  the  loss  of  his  rum,  he  had  never  experi- 
enced any  other  cause  of  sorrow,  and  that  he 
felt  as  happy  as  a  lord." 

Proceeding  along  the  rugged  shores  of  the 
bay,  Audubon  fell  upon  another  singular  res- 
ident upon  this  inhospitable  coast.  Several 
small  vessels  belonging  to  him  were  lying  in 
a  small  bay,  or  near  a  wharf  jutting  out  into 
the  water.  A  number  of  neat-looking  houses 
enlivened  the  view.  He  met  Audubon  and 
his  company  at  the  landing — a  gentleman  in 
his  appearance,  and  dressed  in  the  style  of 
his  visitors.  He  expressed  much  pleasure  at 
the  announcement  of  Audubon's  name,  and 
to  his  astonishment  said  : 

"  My  dear  sir,  I  have  been  expecting  you 
these  three  weeks,  having  read  in  the  papers 
of  your  intention  to  visit  Labrador." 

They  followed  him  to  his  comfortable  man- 
sion, and  he  introduced  them  to  his  wife  and 
six  robust  children.  The  lady  was  a  native 
of  the  country,  but  of  French  extraction, 
lady-like  in  her  appearance,  and  sufficiently 
accomplished.  The  host,  after  a  handsome 
repast  had  been  furnished,  offered  them  news- 
papers from  different  parts  of  the  world,  and 
showed  them  a  small  but  choice  collection 
of  books.  He  pointed  out  to  them  his  gar- 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.  231 

den,  where  a  few  vegetables  struggled  to 
obtain  sun  and  soil  enough  to  ripen  them- 
selves. Looking  upon  the  desolate  country 
around,  Audubon  asked  him  how  one  who 
had  received  a  liberal  education,  and  had 
mixed  in  society,  could  thus  seclude  himself 
from  the  world. 

"The  country  around,"  he  said,  "is  all 
my  own,  much  farther  than  you  can  see. 
No  fees,  no  lawyers,  no  taxes  are  here.  I 
do  pretty  much  as  I  choose.  My  means  are 
ample  through  my  own  industry.  The  ves- 
sels that  come  here  for  seal-skins,  seal-oil, 
and  salmon,  give  me  in  return  all  the  neces- 
saries and,  indeed,  all  the  comforts  of  life. 
What  else  could  the  world  afford  me  ?" 

He  seemed  entirely  to  overlook  the  truth 
that  we  are  placed  in  this  world  not  simply 
to  live  through  our  allotted  time,  and  to  se- 
cure as  much  comfort  as  possible,  but  to 
labor  for  others.;  to  make  others  comforta- 
ble, and  to  glorify  our  Maker  and  Redeemer. 
With  all  its  relief  from  the  perplexities  of 
social  life,  this  is  a  very  low  order  of  enjoy- 
ment and  existence,  but  a  step  above  animal 
life. 

Audubon  asked  him  about  the  educalion 
of  his  children.  "My  wife  and  I  teach 


232          LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS;   OR, 

them,"  he  said,  "all  that  it  is  useful  for 
them  to  know;  is  not  that  enough?  My 
girls  will  marry  their  countrymen,  my  sons 
the  daughters  of  my  neighbors ;  and  I  hope 
all  of  them  will  live  and  die  in  the  country." 
He  had  more  than  forty  Esquimaux  dogs, 
who  take'in  this  country  the  place  and  per- 
form the  labor  of  horses.  As  they  left,  he 
sent  his  regards  to  his  brother-in-law  at 
Bras-d'Or,  between  one  and  two  hundred 
miles  down  the  coast,  and  desired  to  have 
them  tell  him  that  he  would  call  upon  him 
•when  he  visited  his  father-in-law.  His  wife's 
father  resided  alone,  some  seventy  miles  be- 
low them.  The  journey,  however,  over  these 
long  distances  was  rapidly  made  in  winter 
over  the  frozen  snows,  drawn  by  a  pack  of 


Audubon  called  upon  the  brother-in-law, 
and  had  rather  an  amusing  experience  with 
his  kind  but  uncultivated  wife.  Theii  house, 
which  they  had  imported,  from  Quebec, 
fronted  the  Strait  of  Belle  Isle,  and  over- 
looked the  coast  of  Newfoundland.  The 
house  was  not  finished,  but  they  were  re- 
ceived cordially ;  and  the  lady,  who  had 
once  visited  Quebec,  seemed  desirous  of  im- 
pressing her  guests  with  a  lively  idea  of  her 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.   233 

attainments.  Learning  that  Audubon  knew 
something  of  the  fine  arts,  she  pointed  to 
several  miserable  blotches  of  prints  that 
hung  upon  the  bare  walls  and  said  they  were 
elegant  Italian  pictures,  which  she  had  pur- 
chased of  an  Italian,  who  came  there  with  a 
trunk  full  of  them.  The  guests  managed  to 
keep  their  countenances.  One  true  trait  of 
an  amiable  character  the  good  woman  ex- 
hibited. One  of  her  children  had  caught  a 
little  bird  and  was  tormenting  it.  She 
quietly  rose  from  her  seat,  took  the  little 
fluttering  thing  from  the  child,  and  kissing 
it,  launched  it  into  the  air.  This  was  cer- 
tainly prettier  than  her  Italian  pictures. 
After  offering  them  some  excellent  milk  in 
clean  glasses,  the  lady  asked  Audubon  if  he 
was  fond  of  music,  and  if  he  ever  played 
upon  an  instrument.  He  modestly  remarked 
that  he  had  a  slight  acquaintance  with 
music.  The  lady  remarked  that  it  was  her 
forte ;  that  she  was  immoderately  fond  of 
music.  She  had  sent  her  instrument,  she 
said,  to  Europe  to  be  repaired,  but  it  would 
return  that  season,  and  then  her  children 
and  herself  would  again  perform  many  beau- 
tiful airs.  She  remarked  that  an)  one  could 
use  this  instrument  with  ease,  for  when  the 


234          LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS;   OK, 

children  felt  fatigued  the  servant  played 
upon  it  for  them.  Somewhat  surprised  at 
the  remarkable  qualities  of  the  instrument, 
and  at  the  peculiar  musical  abilities  of  the 
family,  Audubon  asked  her  what  kind  of  an 
instrument  it  was.  She  readily  described  it, 
as  follows : 

"Gentlemen,  my  instrument  is  large, 
longer  than  broad,  and  stands  on  four  legs, 
like  a  table.  At  one  end  is  a  crooked  handle, 
by  turning  which  round  either  fast  or  slow, 
I  do  assure  you  we  make  most  excellent 
music." 

Audubon  saw  that  the  lips  of  his  young 
friends  opened,  and  their  features  began  to 
draw  down  into  a  broad  grin;  but  a  look 
from  him  induced  them  instantly  to  recover 
themselves. 

"It  is  a  hand-organ  that  you  have,"  said 
Audubon. 

"  Ah,  that  is  it,"  she  said  laughingly,  "  it 
is  a  hand-organ,  but  I  had  forgot  the  name, 
and  for  the  life  of  me  could  not  recollect  it." 

The  husband  had  seen  much  of  the  world, 
although  he  was  not  an  educated  man  like 
his  brother-in-law.  He  caught  seals  without 
number,  lived  comfortably,  visited  his  father- 
in-law  and  the  scholar  by  the  aid  of  his 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.  235 

dogs,  of  which  he  kept  a  great  pack,  bar- 
tered and  sold  the  spoils  of  his  hunting,  and 
cared  for  nothing  else  in  the  world.  He 
had  the  only  horse  that  was  to  be  found  in 
that  part  of  the  country,  and  several  cows. 
He  had  a  reputation  among  his  neigh- 
Dors  for  kindness,  every  one  speaking  well 
of  him.  Every  day  that  Audubon's  com- 
pany remained  in  the  vicinity  this  unculti- 
vated artist,  but  good  mother  and  wife,  sent 
them  fresh  milk  and  butter,  refusing  all  com- 
pensation in  return. 

After  passing  the  summer  on  the  coast  of 
Labrador,  he  sailed  again  for  Boston,  touch- 
ing at  Newfoundland,  exploring  its  woods 
and  rivers,  and  adding  to  his  collections. 
They  passed  some  time  also  in  Nova  Scotia, 
moving  on  with  the  birds  as  they  returned 
from  their  northern  homes. 

To  make  still  further  observations,  that 
.  nothing  might  be  lacking  to  render  his  work 
full  and  accurate,  he  now  moved  on  rapidly 
again  to  the  South,  where  he  passed  another 
winter  in  completing  his  examinations, 
aided,  as  heretofore,  by  his  generous  and 
learned  friend  Bachman,  of  Charleston.  In 
addition  to  the  study  of  the  birds  and  the 
painting  of  their  plumage,  he  now  carefully 


236          LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS;   OR, 

collected  prepared  specimens  of  all  the  birds 
described  in  his  volumes. 

In  the  following  March  (1834)  he  re- 
turned to  New  York,  and  with  his  family 
once  more  embarked  on  the  packet  ship 
North  America  for  England.  In  this  year 
his  second  volume  of  drawings  and  of  biog- 
raphies were  completed  and  placed  in  the 
hands  of  his  subscribers,  and  with  the  large 
and  valuable  collections  that  he  had  made 
during  his  long  journeys  and  voyages  on  his 
native  continent  he  entered  at  once  upon 
the  preparation  of  the  third.  This  volume, 
after  the  most  painstaking  care,  he  was  able 
to  send  from  the  press  in  1837 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDTJBON.  237 


CHAPTER  IX. 

AUDUBON'S  CLOSING  LABORS. 

HAVING  placed  his  wife,  now  an  invalid, 
in  the  care  of  the  kindest  friends  in  London, 
he  made  arrangements  for  another  long  tour 
of  observation  in  his  native  land,  in  com- 
pany with  his  eldest  son.  His  plan,  which 
he  was  not  able  fully  to  carry  out,  was  to 
cross  the  continent,  "  gaze  on  the  majestic 
Avilds  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  wander 
along  the  green  valleys  of  the  Oregon,  and 
search  the  shores  of  the  Pacific  Ocean  and 
a  portion  of  North  Carolina."  On  the  first 
of  August,  1836,  he  embarked  again  for  the 
United  States. 

Several  others  had  now  entered  into  the 
interesting  fields  which  he  had  been  for  so 
many  years  cultivating.  Audubon  was  a 
man  of  the  most  generous  and  sincere  feel- 
ings, beyond  envy  and  jealousy,  and  devoid 
of  a  false  pride  which  would  restrain  him 
from  availing  himself  of  the  valuable  serv- 
ices of  others. 

Thomas  Nuttall,  Esq.,  of  Salem,  had  crossed 


238          LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS;   OR, 

the  Rocky  Mountains,  prosecuting  his  studies 
in  the  various  branches  of  natural  history,  and 
had  brought  back  many  new  and  rare  birds, 
and  made  valuable  observations  upon  their 
habits.  These  were  kindly  placed  by  Mr. 
N.  at  the  disposition  of  Audubon,  who  most 
heartily  availed  himself  of  these  treasures, 
and  gave  the  most  generous  acknowledg- 
ments. Dr.  Townsend,  of  Philadelphia,  who 
was  then  absent  on  the  Pacific  coast,  had  a 
valuable  collection,  which  his  friends  in  that 
city,  very  reluctantly,  allowed  him  to  ex- 
amine, through  a  mistaken  and  ungenerous* 
fear  that  it  might  detract  somewhat  from 
the  honor  of  Dr.  T. 

With  several  friends,  and  with  every 
facility  that  the  government  of  the  United 
States  could  afford  in  the  use  of  its  reve- 
nue cutters,  Audubon  commenced  another 
thorough  examination  of  the  Gulf  shores,  the 
mouths  of  the  Mississippi,  and  the  coast  of 
Texas.  On  his  return  to  Charleston,  South 
Carolina,  his  oldest  son  was  married  to  a 
daughter  of  Rev.  Dr.  Bachman,  thus  drawing 
closer  the  cords  that  had  long  bound  these 
two  devoted  lovers  of  nature  together.  His 
second  son  afterward  married  another  daugh- 
ter of  Dr.  Bachman. 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.    239 

Having  been  absent  about  a  year,  he  re- 
turned again  to  London,  to  be  once  more 
united  with  his  affectionate  family. 

In  1837  he  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing 
his  third  volume  in  the  hands  of  his  subscrib- 
ers, and  the  fourth  and  last  advancing.  In 
1839  this  labor  of  his  life  was  completed. 
The  number  of  the  birds  crowded  into  his 
last  volume  was  so  large  that  he  found  it 
necessary  to  publish  two  volumes  of  biogra- 
phies to  accompany  it ;  so  that,  while  there 
are  four  volumes  of  engravings,  there  are  five 
volumes  of  biographies. 

Audubon  was  now  nearly  sixty.  One 
might  suppose  alt  the  conclusion  of  such  a 
mighty  task  his  enthusiasm  would  have  been 
somewhat  abated,  and  he  would  have  felt 
like  seeking  repose  in  the  bosom  of  a  happy 
family  during  the  remaining  years  of  his  life. 
But  he  says  at  this  time,  "  The  adventures 
and  vicissitudes  which  have  fallen  to  my  lot, 
instead  of  tending  to  diminish  the  fervid  en- 
thusiasm of  my  nature,  have  imparted  a 
toughness  to  my  bodily  constitution,  natural 
ly  strong,  and  to  my  mind,  naturally  buoyant, 
an  elasticity  such  as  to  assure  me  that,  though 
Bomewhat  old  and  considerably  denuded  in 

the  frontal  region,  I  could  yet  perform  on 
15 


240  LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS ;  OB, 

foot  a  journey  of  any  length,  were  I  sure 
that  I  should  thereby  add  materially  to  our 
knowledge  of  the  ever-interesting  creatures 
which  have  for  so  long  a  time  occupied  my 
thoughts  by  day  and  filled  my  dreams  with 
pleasant  images.  Nay,  reader,  had  I  a  new 
lease  of  life  j  resented  to  me,  I  should  choose 
for  it  the  very  occupations  in  which  I  have 
been  engaged.  The  life  which  I  have  led 
nas  been,  in  some  respects,  a  singular  one. 
Think  of  a  person  intent  on  such  pursuits  as 
mine  have  been,  aroused  at  early  dawn  from 
his  rude  couch  on  the  alder-fringed  brook  ot 
some  northern  valley,  or  in  the  midst  of  some 
unexplored  forest  of  the  West,  or  perhaps  on 
the  soft  and  warm  sands  of  the  Florida  shores, 
and  listening  to  the  pleasing  melodies  of 
songsters  innumerable,  saluting  the  magnifi- 
cent orb  from  whose  radiant  influence  the 
creatures  of  many  worlds  receive  life  and 
light.  Refreshed  and  invigorated  by  health- 
ful rest,  he  starts  upon  his  feet,  offers  his 
prayers,  gathers  up  his  store  of  curiosities, 
buckles  on  his  knapsack,  shoulders  his  trusty 
firelock,  says  a  kind  word  to  his  faithful  dog, 
and  recommences  his  pursuit  of  zoological 
knowledge.  Now  the  morning  is  spent,  and 
a  squirrel  or  a  trout  afford  him  a  repast. 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.  241 

Should  the  day  be  warm,  he  reposes  for  a 
time  under  the  shade  of  some  tree.  The 
woodland  choristers  again  burst  forth  into 
song,  and  he  starts  anew  to  wander  wherever 
the  objects  of  his  search  may  lead  him., 
When  the  evening  approaches,  and  the  birds 
are  seen  betaking  themselves  to  their  retreats, 
he  looks  for  some  place  of  safety,  erects  his 
shed  of  green  boughs,  kindles  his  fire,  pre- 
pares his  meal,  and  as  the  widgeon,  or  blue- 
winged  teal,  or  perhaps  the  breast  of  a  tur- 
key or  a  steak  of  venison  sends  its  delicious 
perfumes  abroad,  he  enters  into  his  parch- 
ment-bound journal  the  remarkable  incidents 
and  facts  that  have  occurred  in  the  course 
of  the  day.  Darkness  has  now  drawn  her 
curtain  over  the  scene,  his  repast  is  finished, 
and,  kneeling  on  the  earth,  he  raises  his  soul 
to  heaven,  grateful  for  the  protection  that 
has  been  granted  to  him  and  the  sense  of  the 
Divine  Presence  in  this  solitary  place.  Then 
wishing  a  cordial  good-night  to  all  the  dear 
friends  at  home,  the  AMERICAN  WOODSMAN 
wraps  himself  up  in  his  blanket,  and  closing 
his  eyes,  soon  falls  into  that  comfortable 
sleep  which  never  fails  him  on  such  occa- 
sions." 

One  hardly  knows  which  to  admire  the 


242  LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS  ;   OK, 

most,  the  wonderful  drawings  from  nature 
which  fill  the  four  magnificent  volumes,  or 
the  most  entertaining  and  truthful  descrip- 
tion of  the  habits  and  characteristics  of  the 
birds,  intermingled  with  his  personal  adven- 
tures, found  in  the  biographies.  Passing  so 
often  from  one  portion  of  the  country  to  the 
other,  his  handsome  and  vigorous  form,  his 
pleasing  manner,  and  his  sharp,  expressive 
eye  became  very  familiar,  as  it  was  always 
welcome,  wherever  he  moved.  Sometimes 
where  he  was  not  known  amusing  mistakes 
occurred.  His  dress,  when  upon  his  hunt- 
ing excursions,  was  provided  with  reference 
to  durability  rather  than  to  beauty,  and  he 
often  looked  quite  like  a  backwoodsman  or 
a  French  voyageur.  Once,  when  he  had  been 
scouring  the  northern  forests  and  the  lake 
shores,  he  came  to  the  English  village  on  the 
Canada  side  of  Niagara  Falls.  He  went  to 
the  large  hotel  and  began  to  make  himself 
at  home,  and  avail  himself  of  the  many  ex- 
pensive conveniences  of  the  place.  The  hoteJ 
keeper  looked  upon  him  with  amazement. 
He  thought,  in  his  dirty,  torn  habiliments, 
that  he  must  be  some  vagrant  hunter  or 
wandering  boatman  who  did  not  apprehend 
the  expense  to  which  he  laid  himself  liable 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.  243 

in  this  fashionable  hotel,  and  if  he  did  waa 
not  in  a  condition  to  meet  it.  He  was  on 
the  point  of  turning  him  out,  when  the 
soiled  woodsman  went  to  the  register  and 
wrote  his  name,  Audubon.  Even  then,  he 
had  his  suspicions  lest  he  might  be  an  impos- 
tor. But  one  of  the  guests  of  the  house  re- 
cognizing the  famous  naturalist  in  his  strange 
garb,  welcomed  him  in  the  warmest  manner. 
The  master  of  the  hotel,  not  a  little  cha- 
grined by  his  unfortunate  mistake,  sought  to 
redeem  his  false  step  by  making  his  atten- 
tions almost  a  burden  to  his  guest. 

Some  travelers*  upon  a  canal  route  in 
Pennsylvania  (for  railroads  were  not  then  in 
use)  heard  above  the  bustle  of  the  crowd 
rushing  on  board  at  the  hour  of  starting 
the  familiar  name  of  Audubon  spoken.  "  Mr. 
Audubon  is  the  last  on  the  list,"  said  the 
speaker ;  "  I  fear  he  will  not  get  a  bed,  we 
are  so  crowded." 

"  What,  is  it  possible  Mr.  Audubon  can  be 
on  board  ?"  they  rejoined  almost  simultane- 
ously. "  He  is  the  man  of  all  others  that 
we  most  wish  to  see.  Where?  Which  is  he?" 

"He  is  actually  in  this  very  cabin,"  said 
their  informant ;  "  there,"  he  added,  point- 
*  Incident  noticed  in  North  American  Review. 


244  LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS  ;  OR, 

ing  to  a  huge  pile  of  blankets  and  fur,  which, 
stretched  upon  one  of  the  benches,  looked 
like  the  substantial  bale  of  some  western 
trader. 

"  What,  that  Mr.  Audubon !"  exclaimed 
the  travelers,  whose  names  were  at  the  mo- 
ment called  out  by  the  captain  as  entitled  to 
the  first  choice  ofberths.  This  privilege  they 
openly  renounced  in  favor  of  Audubon.  And 
now  the  green  bale  stirred  a  little,  half 
turned  upon  its  narrow  resting-place,  after  a 
while  sat  erect,  and  showed  that  there  was  a 
man  inside  of  it !  A  patriarchal  beard  fell, 
white  and  wavy,  down  his  breast,  a  pair  of 
hawk-like  eyes  gleamed  sharply  out  from  the 
frizzy  shroud  of  cap  and  collar.  The  lookers  on 
drew  near  with  a  thrill  of  irrepressible  curios- 
ity. The  moment  their  eyes  beheld  the  out- 
line of  that  noble  face  they  felt  that  it  could 
be  he,  and  no  one  else.  Audubon  it  was  in 
this  wilderness  garb,  hale  and  alert  with  six- 
ty winters  on  his  shoulders,  like  one  of  his 
old  eagles,  feathered  to  the  heel. 

The  travelers,  soon  on  intimate  terms 
with  their  admired  companion,  were  delighted 
in  listening  to  the  ever  fresh  relation  of  his 
exploits,  discoveries,  and  experiences,  pecul- 
iarly instructive  on  account  of  the  immense 


THE  ADVENTUKES  OF  ADDUBON.   245 

stores  of  knowledge  which  he  had  collected, 
and  from  the  accuracy  of  his  information. 
When  ashore,  the  travelers  found  he  out- 
stripped in  walking,  with  perfect  ease,  his 
considerably  younger  companions ;  while  the 
clearness  and  power  of  his  vision  showed 
how  entirely  the  vigor  of  his  constitution 
had  been  preserved.  One  clear,  fine  morn- 
ing, when  passing  through  a  particularly 
picturesque  region,  his  keen  eyes,  with  an 
abstracted,  intense  expression  peculiar  to 
them,  were  gazing  over  the  scenery,  when 
suddenly  he  pointed  with  his  finger  to  the 
fence  of  a  field  about  two  hundred  yards 
oif  and  exclaimed:  "See,  yonder  is  a  fox- 
squirrel  running  along  the  top  rail ;  it  is  not 
often  I  have  seen  one  in  Pennsylvania."  As 
not  one  other  person  in  the  group  who  looked 
in  that  direction  with  him  could  detect  the 
creature  at  all,  his  companions  felt  some 
doubt  as  to  whether  he  could  discern  the 
object  so  distinctly  as  to  discover  its  species. 
They  curiously  asked  him  if  he  was  sure  that 
it  was  a  fox-squirrel.  Audubon  smiled  as 
he  answered,  "  Ah !  I  have  an  eagle's  eyes." 
Having  completed  his  undertaking,  Audu- 
bon, with  his  family,  parting  with  sincere 
regret  from  the  many  esteemed  and  gener- 


246          LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS;   OB, 

ous  friends  ne  had  made  in  England  and 
Scotland,  returned  finally  to  his  native  shores. 

He  purchased  a  country  seat  upon  the 
banks  of  the  beautiful  Hudson  river,  a  few 
miles  above  the  city  of  New  York,  which 
bore  the  name  of  Minnieland.  Here,  embow- 
ered among  oaks  and  elms,  he  built  himself 
a  comfortable  residence,  and  settled  his  fam- 
ily, for  so  long  a  period  without  an  abiding 
home.  Some  years  after  his  return,  one  of 
the  contributors  to  that  interesting  volume, 
published  some  years  since,  "The  Homes  of 
American  Authors,"  thus  describes  a  visit 
to  his  residence: 

"A  short  walk  through  the  forest  from 
the  river  soon  brought  a  secluded  country 
house  into  view,  simple  and  unpretending  in 
its  architecture,  and  beautifully  embowered 
amid  the  trees.  Several  graceful  fawns  aud 
a  noble  elk  were  standing  in  the  shade  of 
the  trees,  apparently  unconscious  of  the  pres- 
ence of  a  few  dogs,  and  not  caring  for  the 
numerous  turkeys,  geese,  and  other  domestic 
animals  that  gobbled  and  screamed  around 
them.  Nor  did  my  own  approach  startle 
the  wild  beautiful  creatures,  that  seemed 
docile  as  any  of  their  tame  companions. 

"  *  Is  the  master  at  home  ?'  I  asked  of  a 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON.   247 

pretty  maid-servant  who  answered  my  tap 
at  the  door,  and  who,  after  informing  me 
that  he  was,  led  me  into  a  room  on  the 
left  side  of  the  broad  hall.  It  was  not,  how- 
ever, a  parlor,  or  an  ordinary  reception 
room  that  I  entered,  but  evidently  a  room 
for  work.  In  one  corner  stood  a  painter's 
easel,  with  a  half-finished  sketch  of  a  beaver 
on  the  paper ;  in  the  other  lay  the  skin  of  an 
American  panther.  The  antlers  of  elks  hung 
upon  the  walls;  stuffed  birds  of  every  de- 
scription of  gay  plumage  ornamented  the 
mantle-piece,  and  exquisite  drawings  of  field- 
mice,  orioles,  and  woodpeckers  were  scat- 
tered promiscuously  in  other  parts  of  the 
room,  across  one  end  of  which  a  long  rude 
table  was  stretched  to  hold  artist  materials, 
scraps  of  drawing  paper,  and  immense  folio 
volumes,  filled  with  delicious  paintings  of 
birds  taken  from  their  native  haunts. 

"'This,'  said  I  to  myself,  'is  the  studio 
of  the  naturalist;'  but  hardly  had  the  thought 
escaped  me  when  the  master  himself  made 
his  appearance.  He  was  a  tall  thin  man, 
with  a  high  arched  and  serene  forehead, 
and  a  bright,  penetrating  gray  eye.  His 
white  locks  fell  in  clusters  upon  his  shoul- 
ders, but  were  the  only  signs  of  age,  for  his 


248  LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS ;  OR, 

form  was  erect,  and  his  step  as  light  as  that 
of  a  deer.  The  expression  of  his  face  was 
sharp,  but  noble  and  commanding ;  and  there 
was  something  in  it,  partly  derived  from  the 
aquiline  nose,  and  partly  from  the  shutting 
of  the  mouth,  which  made  you  think  of  the 
imperial  eagle. 

"  His  greeting,  as  he  entered,  was  at  once 
frank  and  cordial,  and  showed  you  the  sin- 
cere and  true  man.  'How  kind  it  is,'  he 
said,  with  a  slight  French  accent,  and  in  a 
pensive  tone,  'to  come  to  see  me;  and  how 
wise  too  to  leave  that  crazy  city.'  He  then 
shook  me  warmly  by  the  hand.  'Do  you 
know,'  he  continued,  'how  I  wonder  that 
men  can  consent  to  swelter  and  fret  their 
Jives  away  amid  those  hot  bricks  and  pesti- 
lent vapors,  when  the  woods  and  fields  are 
all  so  near?  It  would  kill  me  soon  to  be 
confined  in  such  a  prison  house ;  and  when  I 
am  forced  to  make  an  occasional  visit  there 
it  fills  me  with  loathing  and  sadness.  Ah! 
how  often,  when  I  have  been  abroad  upon  the 
mountains,  has  my  heart  risen  in  grateful 
praise  to  God  that  it  was  not  my  destiny  to 
waste  and  pine  among  those  noisome  con- 
gregations of  the  city.' 

"Audubon  was  over  sixty  years  of  age 


THE  ADVENTUKES  OF  AUDUBON.  249 

when  the  writer  of  this  sketch  made  his  ac- 
quaintance, and  he  was  then  as  ardent  in 
the  prosecution  of  his  "Studies,  as  bold  in  his 
projects  for  additional  acquisitions,  and  as 
animated  in  his  conversation  and  manner  as 
he  could  have  been  forty  years  before.  In- 
deed, he  was,  even  at  that  advanced  period 
of  his  life,  on  the  eve  of  an  excursion  to  the 
Rocky  Mountains,  in  search  of  some  speci- 
mens of  wild  animals  of  which  he  had  heard ; 
and  the  following  year  he  passed  the  sum- 
mer on  the  Upper  Missouri  and  the  Yellow 
Stone  rivers.  His  love  of  his  vocation,  after 
innumerable  trials,  successes,  and  disappoint- 
ments, was  to  the  end  of  his  life  most  in- 
tense." 

Audubon's  first  important  undertaking 
after  his  return  to  the  United  States  was 
the  republication,  in  a  smaller  and  a  cheaper 
form,  of  his  great  work  upon  the  birds  of 
our  country.  This  edition  he  completed, 
and  published  in  seven  octavo  volumes,  the 
last  being  issued  in  1844.  It  was  to  add  to 
these  volumes  some  new  species  of  birds  of 
which  he  had  heard  that  he  took  the  jour- 
ney referred  to  above,  to  the  headwaters 
of  the  Mississippi.  Twenty  additional  spe- 
cies of  birds  were  thus  added  to  the  Ameri- 


250  LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS  J   OB, 

can  edition.  This  undertaking  proved  suc- 
cessful  in  every  respect.  The  work  coming 
within  the  limits  of  men  of  small  means,  a 
large  list  of  subscribers  in  our  principal 
towns  and  cities  was  obtained. 

During  his  eager  study  of  the  habits  of 
birds,  Audubon  had  made  very  full  notes  of 
the  characteristics  of  the  wild  animals  of  our 
country,  and  had  prepared  some  drawings 
of  them.  And  now,  although  he  was  nearly 
seventy  years  of  age,  he  entered  with  all 
the  vigor  of  his  youth  upon  the  work  of  pre- 
paring as  faithful  a  representation  of  the 
quadrupeds  as  he  had  of  the  birds  of  his  na- 
tive land.  With  the  treasures  of  his  previous 
researches  and  experience,  and  with  a  reso- 
lution equal  to  all  the  difficulties  in  his  path, 
he  began  to  arrange  his  materials,  and  was 
soon  deep  in  the  prosecution  of  the  work. 
Dr.  Bachman,  his  unfailing  and  learned  friend 
of  Charleston,  and  his  two  sons  were  united 
with  him  in  the  enterprise.  To  enable  him 
to  perfect  this  work,  he  projected  the  jour- 
ney to  the  Rocky  Mountains ;  but  his  family 
earnestly  and  successfully  resisted  his  inten- 
tions, not  deeming  it  prudent  for  one  so 
far  advanced  in  years  to  undergo  so  long 
and  wearisome  a  tour.  It  was  well,  as  the 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AUDUBON".  251 

event  proved,  that  he  remained  in  his  quiet 
and  beautiful  home,  and  in  the  bosom  of  his 
affectionate  family. 

A  folio  volume,  entitled  the  "  Quadrupeds 
of  America,"  was  published  in  1850,  together 
with  a  "Biography  of  American  Quadru- 
peds." These  volumes  bear  the  characteristic 
marks  of  his  faithfulness  and  enthusiastic 
love  for  the  instinctive  creatures  of  God. 
They  also  concluded  his  labors  for  his  race, 
and  completed  a  monument  to  his  reputation 
which  will  remain  when  the  stone  over  his 
tomb  crumbles  to  the  dust. 

While  still  busily  engaged  in  the  collec- 
tion of  materials  for  succeeding  volumes 
his  powers  of  mind  and  body  began  to  give 
way.  "  The  once  brilliant  eye  could  no  lon- 
ger keenly  inspect  the  minute  organs  of  the 
smaller  quadrupeds  and  birds,  nor  could  the 
once  firm  hand  trace  aught  but  trembling 
lines.  We  have  heard  that  the  last  gleam 
of  light  stole  across  his  features  a  few  days 
before  his  death,  when  one  of  his  sons  held 
before  him,  as  he  sat  in  his  chair,  some  of  his 
most  cherished  drawings."  * 

He  gently  "  fell  on  sleep  "  on  the  27th  of 
January,  1851.  He  rested  from  his  long, 
*  "  Homes  of  American  Authors." 


252  LIFE   IN  THE  WOODS. 

self-sacrificing  labors,  but  "  his  works  do  fol- 
low him."  No  life  that  is  consecrated  to  the 
well-being  or  improvement  of  society  and  to 
the  glory  of  God  can  be  lost ;  it  becomes  a 
permanent  and  active  power  upon  the  earth. 


THE  mn>. 


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UC  SOUTHERN  REgj^ 

AA    001  297  763   3 


